Examining the relationship between student stress and misconduct: Study

A new study published in the Journal of Academic Ethics examines the relationship between student misconduct and stress levels. Corrine D Ferguson (Bow Valley College), Margaret A Toye (BVC), and Sarah Elaine Eaton (University of Calgary) examined academic misconduct through the lens of a stress process model to better understand cheating in the relation to student stress. Based on the self-reports of 916 college students, the study found that students who had engaged in academic misconduct often reported significantly higher levels of stress. In their discussion of the results, Ferguson, Toye, and Eaton propose a more holistic approach to academic integrity, noting that efforts to address stressful conditions could help deter students from engaging in academic misconduct.