A model test towards university students’ cheating behaviour in the context of the theory of planned behaviour

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the causal relationships amongst attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, moral obligation and intention towards cheating by the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The study sample (n = 1,220) consists of senior students at the faculties of Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Turkey. The data were collected with the scales; attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, moral obligation and intention towards cheating, which were developed by researchers of the study. The data were analysed by the exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis. It can be concluded that the Theory of Planned Behaviour is capable of explaining the attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, moral obligation and intention variables towards cheating, and it is confirmed in a good model fit with this study. According to the path analysis results, the attitude towards cheating has a strong and significant effect for cheating intention, and subjective norms and the perceived behavioural control towards cheating have no significant effect for cheating intention.

Keywords: University students, cheating, planned behaviour, path analysis