CHEATING AND ACHIEVEMENT-AVOIDANCE AT SCHOOL - COMPONENTS AND ASSESSMENT

The development and psychometric properties of a general school cheati ng scale are reported. German grammar school students (grades 10-12, N =197) responded to 44 five-point scaled items concerning different fac ets of cheating and achievement avoidance at school. Based on an explo rative principal component analysis, a 14-item general scale 'Cheating and Effort Avoidance at School' was developed, covering the use of fo rbidden aids, unrealistic hopes and defensive tactics, and avoidance o f test situations. The satisfying psychometric properties of the sale (a=.83 to a=.86, test-retest reliability after four to six weeks, r=.7 5) was confirmed with a second (N=487 and third (N=902) sample of gram mar school students (grades 10-13). Some validity data are reported: p ositive relations to the factors 'worry' and 'emotionality' of test an xiety as well as to the fear of failure aspect of achievement motivati on: negative relation to school achievement (grade in maths and German ), to satisfaction with own academic achievement, to academic self-con cept and to the hope for success component of achievement motivation.