Publication at Faculty of Education |
2015
Abstract
Studies measuring students cheating frequently employ questionnaires containing self-report items with rating scales. The results of these studies may, however, not only reflect the actual level of dishonest behavior but also differences in scale usage between respondents.
The authors use the anchoring vignette method to demonstrate how heterogeneity in scale usage can lead researchers to inaccurate conclusions about the relationships between cheating and students characteristics on the sample of seventh grade students (N = 265). The authors also formulate general recommendations that support the basic measurement assumptions of the anchoring vignette method.