ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND LOW SELF-CONTROL - AN EMPIRICAL-TEST OF A GENERAL-THEORY OF CRIME

This study uses academic dishonesty as a unique type of fraudulent beh avior upon which to test Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory of c rime. The study utilizes self-report data from a survey of undergradua te students enrolled in sociology courses at a large southwestern univ ersity. With these data, the authors examine a number of the core theo retical propositions of Gottfredson and Hirschi's theory. That is, we test issues concerning the dimensionality of low self-control, the inf luence of parenting on the development of self-control, the associatio n between levels of self-control and involvement in academic dishonest y, and the interactive effects of low self-control and opportunity on the frequency of academic dishonesty. The results of our analyses, alt hough rather mixed, do provide qualified support for the theory.