Affecting Self-Compassion and Academic Cheating among High School Girls by Increasing their Moral Intelligence through Group Teaching

It has been shown that moral intelligence can affect many psychological characteristics such as those manifesting themselves in academic cheating and self-compassion. Given that such intelligence refers to certain knowledge and skills that can be learned, the question that arises is whether group teaching of these skills would lead to a reduction in cheating and increase self-compassion. To answer this question two high schools in Tehran were randomly selected and the self-compassion and tendency towards academic cheating of their students measured. 50 students scoring highest on cheating tendency and lowest on self-compassion were selected and divided into two groups, one of which went through an eight session course on moral intelligence. The instruments used to measure the three constructs were assumed to be valid and reliable. Results show the expected outcome as cheating tendency decreased and self-compassion increased among the experimental group’s members. It appears that going through the course causes students to become committed to moral principles and more honest and responsible for their decisions. Thus it is recommended that such courses be taught in all schools facing the said problem.