Crime in the Classroom: An Economic Analysis of Undergraduate Student Cheating Behavior

Alfred Marshall described economics as being the study of man in the ordinary business of life. Unfortunately, for some students, cheating has become an ordinziry part of life. Economic models can be used to describe and explain cheating behavior. The purpose of this article is to develop such a model and use it to analyze reported student cheating behavior. We also discuss the similarities and differences between cheating and the crime of theft. Information about the incidence of cheating and student attitudes toward cheating were obtained from a survey. The results of the survey indicate that a surprisingly large percentage of students admit to some form of cheating during college. An analysis of the survey also indicates that the propensity to cheat declines as grade point average increases.