By Hiba Rayess, Bicharaf Staff Writer
Even though they find cheating an unethical means to achieve their goals, for many students, cheating just “isn’t a big deal” to them. Cheating is unfortunately becoming the norm, and not studying is quickly becoming a popular trend among students. Preventing students from cheating is one issue, and knowing why cheaters cheat is another. Strategies to prevent instances of cheating are, of course, beneficial, but understanding why students cheat can equip professionals to prevent academic cheating by addressing the root issues.
One of the most popular reasons students cite for cheating is that the “adult world sets such poor examples.” (1) In the adult world, students see that cheating runs rampant in relationships, work, and sports and games, and as they compare their own world to the adult world, students perceive their own acts of academic cheating as minor and justifiable. However, students fail to take into consideration that those “major” adult acts of cheating typically started out with “minor” acts of academic cheating.
Students also cite “pressure” as a reason for cheating. Overloaded class schedules, lack of understanding of the course material, poor text construction, and an abundance of concurrent exams put pressure on students to find ways to achieve high marks efficiently. And even when students do not want to cheat, they say that other students’ cheating could “put me at disadvantage.” (2)
Students rationalize their cheating behaviors with limitless excuses. If a student is pressured by his parents to perform, pleasing his parents will be the motive for cheating. If a student does not feel well prior to a test, sickness becomes the rationale for cheating. If a student needs a higher GPA, financial aid, sports scholarship, or to attend the best graduate school, then somehow the student’s cheating becomes justified.
Moreover, some students cite unfair professors as a basis for cheating. Ruthlessly demanding professors who leave no room for students to learn from their errors can inadvertently cause students to cheat for better grades. Unfair tests that include complex and unfamiliar questions also motivate students to cheat. In addition, students cite their “unreasonable workload in a course” as a reason to cheat their way to seeming success. (3)
Personal laziness is another reason as to why students cheat. It is rare to find students who prefer studying rather than doing something entertaining. Students who do not attend classes, do not care about completing their assignments, or do not have the incentive to learn usually end up plagiarizing their work either from other students or from other sources in order to pass their classes and keep up with their fellow peers.
“Helping” a friend in need or “lending a hand” to the cute girl at the neighboring desk is another strong motive for students’ cheating. Students do not like to see their friends flunk their exams or to not do well on a research project. In these cases, students tend to disregard the fact that cheating is unethical; what is more, they do not believe that this “helping” is a form of cheating. Even peer pressure is a factor in this form of cheating. Students who do not “help” their classmates on tests and assignments can be subject to harassment for failing to help someone “in need.” “Cheating by helping” is particularly widespread in cultures in which helping others is of utmost importance.
It should not go unsaid that simple opportunity is a prime reason why students cheat. Whether it be an instructor who left the students unattended for only minutes, an indifferent instructor who allowed the students to openly cheat, or an instructor that left students’ papers uncovered (4), students who are willing to cheat will gladly do so if presented with the opportunity.
Though the vast majority of students find cheating to be unethical, so many students to choose to cheat anyway. A major problem for students is that cheaters tend to overlook how cheating negatively impacts their performance and their chances for long-term success. Students who frequently cheat “are more likely to deceive themselves” and tend to believe that they earned their high marks of their own accord. (5)
So what are professionals to do? How can they effectively combat cheating? One of the best means may be to emphasize to students the “personal consequences and loss of trust” (6) that occur when students cheat. It is also recommended that instructors concentrate on their mutually ethical relationship with their students, and should also evaluate student performance individually rather than on the performance of others.
Given the tools, time, and space to succeed according to their own merits, students can and will be empowered and encouraged to live out their personal ethics both inside and outside of school walls.
(1) Slobogin, K. (2002). Survey: Many students say cheating's OK. CNN. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2002-04-05/us/highschool.cheating_1_plagiarism-c...
(2) PLNU. (n.d). Reasons Students Cheat. San Diego. Retrieved from http://www.pointloma.edu/experience/academics/centers-institutes/center-...
(3) Ibid.
(4) Ibid.
(5) Sparks, S. D. (2011). Studies Find Cheaters Overinflate Academic Ability. Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/03/24/26cheat.h30.html?tkn=XWUFNL...
(6) Carnegie Mellon. (n.d.). Why Do Students Cheat? Pittsburgh. Retrieved from http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/acad_int/why.html