Faculty Resources - It Seems Like Such a Gamble...So Why Do Some Students Cheat?

Students know they could fail a class or get kicked out of school if they cheat, but some still do. Why do they take the obvious risk?

Like any decision making process, many things must be taken into account when we seek to understand the motivation students have to cheat. Students at Truman have reported that they cheat because:

1. The class/assignment is not important to me or has nothing to do with what I want to be.

 

2. I don’t have any time because all of my projects/tests are at the same time and I have so

    many other responsibilities.

 

3. My GPA is too important to me because I want to get into grad/med/law school.

 

4. I have gotten so far behind there is no chance that I can catch up.

 

5. I had a personal crisis at the time and was under too much pressure. I could not focus on

    the assignment.

 

6. Everyone else is doing it and my instructor grades on a curve.

 

7. I didn’t know that what I did was plagiarism.

 

Adapted from Academic Integrity Newsletter November/December 2001, conduct.truman.edu