Predictors of Exam Cheating Among the High School Students: Role of Personality Characteristics, Sensation-Seeking, Locus of Control and Exam Anxiety

The research purpose is to evaluate the personality characteristics, sensation-seeking, a locus of control and exam anxiety as the predictors of exam cheating among the high school students in Ahvaz City. Hence, the research employed a correlation and predictive method. The sample comprised 79 students with cheating background and 78 students without cheating background in the high schools of Ahvaz City. The selection of the cheating group was done with the confirmation and agreement of at least three teachers in each class and the non-cheating students were also randomly selected from the same class. The employed tools included Zukerman scale of sensation-seeking, Nowicki-Strickland Scale of locus of control and Friedman test anxiety scale. The data were analyzed using the discriminant analysis method. The obtained results indicated that the linear combination of the research variables can predict students’ cheating in the exams in the high schools located in Ahvaz City. Moreover, findings indicated that sensation-seeking and consciousness are the predictors of high school student’s cheating.