An Explanatory Model of Academic Dishonesty Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

The present study, aiming to explain the antecedents of academic dishonesty, tested a model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. In this model, the effect of university culture on academic dishonesty behavior was examined through the mediation of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention. This correlational study was conducted on 874 undergraduate students of Shiraz University who were selected using the multistage cluster sampling method. Data were collected with the University Culture Scale, the Integrated Scale for Measuring the Components of the Theory of Planned Behavior Specific to Academic Dishonesty, and the Academic Dishonesty Behavior Scale and were analyzed using the structural equation modeling method (Smart PLS 3 software). Convergent and discriminant validity, as well as the reliability of the instruments, were confirmed. The findings showed that academic dishonesty intention significantly mediates the relationship between each of the predictors (university culture, attitude, norm, and behavioral control) and dishonesty behavior. Also, the total indirect effect of university culture on academic dishonesty through the mediators (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention) was significant. These results, while emphasizing the pivotal role of intention, indicate that managing academic dishonesty requires simultaneous attention to contextual, cognitive, and motivational variables.