Peer pressure, fear of failure and examination cheating behavior in the university: Does gender make the difference?

Authors

Chuka Mike Ifeagwazi, JohnBosco Chika Chukwuorji*, Sopuruchukwu O. Egbodo, Mary Basil Nwoke

Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

Examination cheating behavior (ECB) is a relatively commonplace phenomenon that has important implications for students’ success and sustainable development with regard to potential/professional work ethics. Prior research has documented the predictors of cheating such as fear of failure and peer pressure, but there could be gendered patterns of explanatory variables in cheating. The present study examined whether gender moderates the associations of ECB and two predictor variables: peer pressure and fear of failure in the university context. Participants were 308 Nigerian undergraduates who completed the Peer Pressure Inventory, the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory, and the ECB Scale. Results of the PROCESS macro analysis revealed that gender, peer pressure and fear of failure main effects were significant. Gender did not moderate the relationship between peer pressure and ECB, such that greater peer pressure was associated with ECB among men and women. Gender did not moderate the association of fear of failure and ECB, such that there were no gender differences in the effect of fear of failure on ECB. The findings are considered to have implications in development of educational programs and policies to curtail negative peer influences and fear of failure among undergraduates to control exam cheating.

Keywords: cheating behavior, peer pressure, fear of failure, gender, educational policies

PAGES:43-62

doi:10.24193/cbb.2019.23.03

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