Data Contamination By Social Desirability Response Bias In Research On Students Cheating Behavior

Abstract

Our study examines the effect of social desirability on the model developed by Salter et al. (2001). We believe that social desirability response bias contaminates many of the variables that have been used in previous research modeling academic cheating. We initially examined the effect of variables identified in prior research to demonstrate that our sample is equivalent to those in prior studies. We then examined the effect of social desirability response bias using Paulhus’ Image Management Subscale (1986) on their tolerance towards cheating; their cynicism about cheating; and one’s acknowledged intention to cheat in the future.