Academic Dishonesty Scale in college students: Internal structure and association with academic self-efficacy

Abstract

The aim of this research is to assess the psychometric properties of the Academic Dishonesty Scale (ADS) in 527 psychology students (75.5% women) attending classes at a private university in Lima Metropolitana, Perú. An exploratory structural equation modeling was carried out in order to analyze the internal structure; the association with academic self-efficacy (AS) was analyzed with the Pearson correlation coefficient, as well as score reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) and construct reliability (omega). The results indicate that, after eliminating five items, the three-dimensional model (cheating, plagiarism, and falsification) has favorable evidence. Similarly, acceptable reliability indicators were obtained, both with regard to the construct and scoring, but the association with AS was insignificant. In conclusion, the ADS’s psychometric properties are satisfactory as regards its internal structure and reliability, enabling its use to evaluate dishonest academic behavior.