A Causal Model of the Relationships between the Big Five Personality Traits and Academic Dishonesty with the Mediating Role of Self-Conscious Emotions and Goal Orientation

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine a causal model of the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and academic dishonesty, with the mediating role of self-conscious emotions and goal orientation among students at Payame Noor University.

Methods and Materials: This research was descriptive-correlational in nature. The statistical population included all students at Payame Noor University, Kherameh, from which 285 students were selected through convenience sampling. The instruments used in this study included the Big Five Personality Traits Questionnaire by Goldberg (1991), the Goal Orientation Questionnaire by Elliot and McGregor (2001), the Academic Dishonesty Scale by McCabe and Trevino (1996), and the Self-Conscious Emotions Questionnaire by Cohen et al. (2011). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings: The results indicated that the Big Five personality traits significantly and directly influenced goal orientation, self-conscious emotions, and academic dishonesty. Additionally, goal orientation and self-conscious emotions were found to have a significant and direct effect on academic dishonesty. Furthermore, personality traits were shown to influence academic dishonesty indirectly through goal orientation and self-conscious emotions.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that personality traits, goal orientation, and self-conscious emotions all play significant roles in shaping academic dishonesty behaviors. Enhancing goal orientation towards learning objectives and reducing emphasis on performance goals, along with strengthening self-conscious emotions, could lead to a decrease in academic dishonesty among students. These findings can assist universities and educational policymakers in developing programs and policies to prevent academic dishonesty.