A Causal Explanation of Dimensions from Academic Dishonesty Based on Conscientiousness and Academic Responsibility

The purpose of this study was to find a causal explanation of dimensions of academic dishonesty in a group of undergraduate students at Shiraz University. The research method was applied due to the purpose and descriptive correlation due to the method of data collection. The statistical population of the study is all students of Shiraz University in the academic year 2018-2019, out of which 202 subjects (120 girls and 82 boys) were selected through multistage random sampling. The measurement instruments included Conscientiousness Subscale of Big Five Factor Personality Inventory (CS-BFPI), Academic Responsibility Scale (ARS) and Academic Dishonesty Scale (ADS). The validity and reliability of the research scales were also tested by confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. SPSS version 24 and AMOS version 24 software were used to analyze the descriptive data and correlation matrix between variables and to test the hypotheses and research model. The results showed that the research model fit well with the data collected. Findings showed that conscientiousness predicted the dimensions of academic dishonesty indirectly (through academic responsibility). In addition, maximum variance was explained by cheating on the exam and minimum variance was explained by falsification in the model. Overall, the results of the present study highlight the role of academic responsibility along with the personality traits of conscientiousness in explaining the dimensions of academic dishonesty and especially the dimension of cheating in examination.