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Gender Differences in Cheating Attitudes and Classroom Cheating Behavior. A Meta-Analysis1
Although academic dishonesty is a major problem in American colleges and universities, relatively little research has investigated gender differences in cheating. Based on the differential socialization theory of gender differences in moral reasoning (e.g., Chodorow, 1989; Gilligan, 1982) we expected that, compared to women, men would report more favorable attitudes toward cheating and more cheating behavior. We conducted a meta-analysis that included 8 studies of gender differences in attitudes toward cheating, 34 studies of gender differences in cheating behavior, and 6 studies that investigated both attitudes and behavior. Although the mean effect size for gender differences in attitudes was of moderate magnitude, equivalent to a correlation of r = .21, the mean effect size for behavior was small, equivalent to r = .08. Behavior effect sizes also varied as a function of field of study, method of data collection, and country in which the study was conducted. We discuss the implications of our results for future research on gender differences in academic dishonesty.
"The university at the undergraduate level sounds like a place where cheating comes almost as naturally as breathing, where it's an academic skill almost as important as reading, writing, and math" (Moffatt, 1990, p. 2). Although Moffatt's view may strike some readers as being overly cynical, there is a growing concern that cheating is a major problem on college campuses (e.g., Maramark & Maline, 1993). This concern has been reinforced by the publication of "how to" books on cheating (e.g., Moore, 1990) and the establishment of what might be called cheaters' sites on the world-wide web that provide sample term papers and examinations (McCollum, 1996). This concern is also supported by the finding that, on the average, 70% of students have admitted to either plagiarism, cheating on examinations, or cheating on homework assignments (Whitley, 1998).
When faced with the temptation to cheat or plagiarize, students are confronted with an ethical decision: whether to comply with the academic norm not to cheat or to give in to temptation and engage in academic dishonesty. The manner in which the decision is made, the factors that influence the decision, and the outcome of the decision might differ between male and female students...