Attitudes and Causes of Cheating among Mexican College Students: An Exploratory Research

Abstract

This study extends the current state of literature on academic dishonesty, modeling the likelihood to engage in this practice in a private university in Mexico. Ten in-depth interviews with professors and college students were applied as a qualitative phase of the research in order to understand habits, experiences and perceptions about academic dishonesty. A survey with two hundred college students indicate that the number of incidents of cheating is significantly higher than standard estimations in the United States; the quality of students’ social networks is the most important factor explaining cheating and honor codes, whose perceived enforcement does not deter cheating.

Keywords

• Academic Dishonesty
• Mexican College Students
• Cheating
• Social Networks