The Relationship between Student Cheating and College Fraternity or Sorority Membership

Some researchers suggested that members of fraternal organizations may engage in higher levels of unethical behaviors (e.g., academic dishonesty) than nonmembers.

“Furthermore, some researchers have suggested that members of fraternal organizations may engage in higher levels of unethical behaviors (e.g., academic dishonesty) than do nonmembers (Martin et al., 2011;McCabe & Bowers, 1996).”

Fraternity and sorority members have been noted to be significantly more likely to cheat on examinations than have nonmembers.

“Cheating was also found to be one of the most prevalent issues among affiliated students: Fraternity and sorority members have been noted to be significantly more likely to cheat on examinations than have nonmembers (McCabe & Bowers, 1996).”

The finding that affiliated participants were less concerned about poor academic/anti-intellectual attitudes supports previous research indicating that involvement in a Greek-lettered organization contributes to poor academics and anti-intellectual attitudes.

“The respondents' results about perceptions concerning poor academic attitudes supports research that has indicated that involvement in a Greek-lettered organization contributes to poor academics and anti-intellectual attitudes.”

The finding that affiliated participants were less concerned about lack of values supports previous findings that fraternities and sororities are incompatible with higher education goals and evidence that members engage in higher levels of unethical behaviors.

“This result supports not only previous findings about underlying assumptions that fraternities and sororities are presumably incompatible with greater goals of higher education and ideas of academia but also evidence that members of fraternal organizations typically engage in higher levels of unethical behaviors than do nonmembers (Maisel, 1990;Martin et al., 2011;McCabe & Bowers, 1996).”