Online Academic Integrity

Psychology students completed a task with reinforcement for successful performance. We tested academic integrity under randomly assigned conditions of check mark acknowledgment of an honor pledge, typed honor pledge, or no pledge. Across all conditions, 14.1% of students inflated their self-reported performance (i.e., cheated). We found no significant differences in the likelihood of cheating under differing honor pledge conditions. Students were more likely to cheat in late semester (20.2% and 16.0%) compared to the early semester condition (9.6%). Our research is important in understanding the frequency and timing of online academic dishonesty.