Perceptions of corruption as a factor in academic integrity among university students in Mexico and the United States

Academic dishonesty is shaped by personal and environmental factors. Drawing upon Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (EST), this study contributes to our understanding of the determinants of academic dishonesty at the university level in Mexico and the United States. Specifically, we explore how perceptions of corruption (exo-system and macro-system), experience with bribery (meso-system), and peer copying (micro-system) affect university students’ tolerance of academic dishonesty and engagement in academically dishonest acts. This comparative study is based on a unique cross-cultural survey of 535 university-level students in Mexico and the United States. Our findings indicate that students who perceive more corruption are more likely to engage in academic dishonesty, but only in the more corrupt Mexican environment. Peer behaviors and tolerance of academic dishonesty contribute to higher propensities to cheat in both countries. Attitudes toward academic dishonesty, on the other hand, are correlated with tolerance of other dishonest acts and one’s own experience with copying, suggesting self-justification. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the impact of corruption perceptions on ethical behavior in academic settings, revealing a meso-system effect, as well as the stronger micro-system effect of peer behaviors. Preventing academic dishonesty, then, should take into account the broader social and cultural context.