Individual differences and counterproductive academic behaviors in high school

PLoS One. 2020 Sep 10;15(9):e0238892. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238892. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Counterproductive academic behaviors (CAB) is a problem that has plagued academic institutions for centuries. However, research has mostly been focused on higher learning institutes in North America. For this reason, literature on CAB must be expanded to other geographical areas and academic levels. The present research analyses the prevalence and correlates of CAB in a sample of Spanish high school students. The results indicate that CAB is a common phenomenon, cheating and low effort behaviors being the most prevalent forms. Correlational analyses revealed that conscientiousness (ρ = -.55, p < .01), emotional stability (ρ = .28, p < .01), and agreeableness (ρ = -.26, p < .05) are predictors of CAB. Multiple regression analyses showed that conscientiousness is the dimension exerting the strongest impact on CAB (β = -.64, p < .01), followed by agreeableness, and emotional stability. These three dimensions accounted for 51% of CAB variance. Last, implications for theory and practice are described.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Deception
  • Educational Measurement
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Individuality*
  • Male
  • Prevalence
  • Regression Analysis
  • Spain / epidemiology
  • Students / psychology*
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This research was supported by grant PSI2017-87603-P from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities to JFS and SM. Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities website: https://www.ciencia.gob.es/ The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. There was no additional external funding received for this study.