The Rise of Academic Dishonesty

The Rise of Academic Dishonesty

This paper states that academic dishonesty is not a new phenomenon, and suggests that the practice dates back thousands of years. The paper then points out that studies have shown that academic dishonesty is on the rise in academic institutions across the United States. To determine what might explain this increase, this paper provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature to identify the potential causes, followed by a discussion of a suggested remedy. A summary of the research and important findings are provided in the conclusion.
"Perhaps as no other time in history, cheating is easier than ever and examples of dishonesty extend throughout American society today. Scarcely a day goes by without headlines trumpeting yet another professional athlete gone bad, a major company caught in a scandal, or a university professor caught with his academic pants down as past instances of plagiarism are brought to light. According to Rakovski and Levy (2007), recent shenanigans at companies such as Enron, WorldCom and Adelphia have focused attention on the ethical behavior of business leaders and what part higher education should play in training future leaders. These authors caution, "If students exhibit unethical and dishonest behavior in college, they may carry those attitudes and behaviors into the workplace" (p. 466). Whitley and Keith-Spiegel (2002) attribute the prevalence of academic dishonesty among college students today to their "having been raised in an era of decline in public morality, [but] cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are not new problems. These behaviors have existed as long as there have been tests and will probably continue as long as students are evaluated" (p. 3). The role of the nation's colleges and universities in preventing this type of behavior is a common theme that emerges from the literature. In this regard, Huffman (2006) reports that, "Schools can't control the messages of the pop culture, but they...

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