Validation of the academic misconduct questionnaire: exploring predictors of student misconduct
Multiple instruments have been used to assess academic misconduct, yet robust psychometric evidence has been reported only for a few. This study aims to determine the validity and dimensionality of a novel Academic Misconduct Questionnaire (AMQ) and to explore differences between students who engage...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Medical Education Online |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10872981.2025.2506739 |
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| author | Ana Cristina Veríssimo Joselina Barbosa Milton Severo Paula Mena Matos Pedro Oliveira Laura Ribeiro |
| author_facet | Ana Cristina Veríssimo Joselina Barbosa Milton Severo Paula Mena Matos Pedro Oliveira Laura Ribeiro |
| author_sort | Ana Cristina Veríssimo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Multiple instruments have been used to assess academic misconduct, yet robust psychometric evidence has been reported only for a few. This study aims to determine the validity and dimensionality of a novel Academic Misconduct Questionnaire (AMQ) and to explore differences between students who engage in distinct misbehaviours. A diverse sample of health and non-health students replied to the AMQ. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using two subsamples. Predictive models were computed for the AMQ and its dimensions. The questionnaire showed good validity and reliability, revealing eight dimensions related to Cheating during (two forms) and prior Exams, Plagiarism, Fraud in Academic Work, Impersonation (assessment), Signature Forgery in attendance sheets and Not Reporting peer misconduct. The predictors of student engagement in each form of misconduct differed, except for perceiving greater peer fraud, which increased the propensity for all misbehaviours. Perceiving higher sanctions reduced the propensity to engage in most forms, while gender played a role in half of them. First-year students were more likely to Not Reporting peer misconduct and less likely to disclose Fraud in Academic Work and Signature Forgery than those in more advanced years. Health students scored higher in most misbehaviours, especially compared to Economics/Law, Social Sciences and Arts/Humanities, while the latter two disclosed higher Signature Forgery. This study proposes a valid instrument to assess academic misconduct in university students. The predictive models helped to better understand differences between students who engaged in distinct misbehaviours, enabling more targeted interventions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3d2ee7292c66434b98e1ae5cf744f85a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1087-2981 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medical Education Online |
| spelling | doaj-art-3d2ee7292c66434b98e1ae5cf744f85a2025-08-20T02:24:25ZengTaylor & Francis GroupMedical Education Online1087-29812025-12-0130110.1080/10872981.2025.2506739Validation of the academic misconduct questionnaire: exploring predictors of student misconductAna Cristina Veríssimo0Joselina Barbosa1Milton Severo2Paula Mena Matos3Pedro Oliveira4Laura Ribeiro5Department of Public Health and Forensic Sciences and Medical Education, Medical Education Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalFaculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalFaculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalDepartment of Public Health and Forensic Sciences and Medical Education, Medical Education Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalMultiple instruments have been used to assess academic misconduct, yet robust psychometric evidence has been reported only for a few. This study aims to determine the validity and dimensionality of a novel Academic Misconduct Questionnaire (AMQ) and to explore differences between students who engage in distinct misbehaviours. A diverse sample of health and non-health students replied to the AMQ. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using two subsamples. Predictive models were computed for the AMQ and its dimensions. The questionnaire showed good validity and reliability, revealing eight dimensions related to Cheating during (two forms) and prior Exams, Plagiarism, Fraud in Academic Work, Impersonation (assessment), Signature Forgery in attendance sheets and Not Reporting peer misconduct. The predictors of student engagement in each form of misconduct differed, except for perceiving greater peer fraud, which increased the propensity for all misbehaviours. Perceiving higher sanctions reduced the propensity to engage in most forms, while gender played a role in half of them. First-year students were more likely to Not Reporting peer misconduct and less likely to disclose Fraud in Academic Work and Signature Forgery than those in more advanced years. Health students scored higher in most misbehaviours, especially compared to Economics/Law, Social Sciences and Arts/Humanities, while the latter two disclosed higher Signature Forgery. This study proposes a valid instrument to assess academic misconduct in university students. The predictive models helped to better understand differences between students who engaged in distinct misbehaviours, enabling more targeted interventions.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10872981.2025.2506739academic integrityhigher educationhealth and non-health studentsacademic misconduct questionnaireValidation study |
| spellingShingle | Ana Cristina Veríssimo Joselina Barbosa Milton Severo Paula Mena Matos Pedro Oliveira Laura Ribeiro Validation of the academic misconduct questionnaire: exploring predictors of student misconduct Medical Education Online academic integrity higher education health and non-health students academic misconduct questionnaire Validation study |
| title | Validation of the academic misconduct questionnaire: exploring predictors of student misconduct |
| title_full | Validation of the academic misconduct questionnaire: exploring predictors of student misconduct |
| title_fullStr | Validation of the academic misconduct questionnaire: exploring predictors of student misconduct |
| title_full_unstemmed | Validation of the academic misconduct questionnaire: exploring predictors of student misconduct |
| title_short | Validation of the academic misconduct questionnaire: exploring predictors of student misconduct |
| title_sort | validation of the academic misconduct questionnaire exploring predictors of student misconduct |
| topic | academic integrity higher education health and non-health students academic misconduct questionnaire Validation study |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10872981.2025.2506739 |
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