No difference in the intention to engage others in academic transgression among medical students from neighboring countries: a cross-national study on medical students from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Macedonia

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Varja Đogaš
• Author: Doncho M. Donev
• Author: Sunčana Kukolja-Taradi
• Author: Zoran Đogaš
• Author: Vesna Ilakovac
• Author: Anita Novak
• Author: Ana Jerončić
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences

Abstract (english)

AIM:

To asses if the level of intention to engage others in academic transgressions was comparable among medical students from five schools from neighboring Southern-European countries: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia; and medical students from western EU studying at Split, Croatia. -----

METHODS:

Five medical schools were surveyed in 2011, with ≥87% of the targeted population sampled and a response rate of ≥76%. Students' intention to engage a family member, friend, colleague, or a stranger in academic transgression was measured using a previously validated the Intention to Engage Others in Academic Transgression (IEOAT) questionnaire and compared with their intention to ask others for a non-academic, material favor. Data on students' motivation measured by Work Preference Inventory scale, and general data were also collected. Multiple linear regression models of the intention to engage others in a particular behavior were developed. -----

RESULTS:

The most important determinants of the intention to engage others in academic transgression were psychological factors, such as intention to ask others for a material favor, or students' motivation (median determinant's β of 0.18, P≤0.045 for all), whereas social and cultural factors associated with the country of origin were either weak (median β of 0.07, P≤0.031) or not relevant. A significant proportion of students were aware of the ethical violations in academic transgressions (P≤0.004 for all transgressions), but a large proportion of students also perceived academic cheating as a collective effort and were likely to engage people randomly (P≤0.001 for all, but the most severe transgression). This collective effort was more pronounced for academic than non-academic behavior. -----

CONCLUSION:

Culture differences among neighboring Southern-European countries were not an important determinant of the intention to engage others in academic cheating.

• Keywords (english): Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Female; Humans; Intention; Male; Motivation; Multivariate Analysis; Professional Misconduct/psychology; Students, Medical/psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Croatian Medical Journal
• Numbering: vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 381-391
• p-ISSN: 0353-9504
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2016.57.381
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:763835
• Publication: 2016-08
• Document URL: https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2016.57.381
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-03-28 08:44:24