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Reducing academic cheating through growth mindset: an intervention study and a mechanism analysis.
Song Chang1,2, Yinghua Bao1, Chengyou Zhang3
1College of Education, Ludong University, Yantai, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|March 6, 2026
Summary
A brief growth mindset intervention reduced exam cheating by fostering beliefs in ability malleability. This strategy works by influencing how students interpret effort and failure, suggesting a promising approach to combat academic dishonesty.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Academic dishonesty is a significant issue in higher education.
- There is a need for scalable interventions targeting internal motivation.
- Mindset theory provides a framework for understanding student beliefs and behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the impact of a brief growth mindset intervention on exam cheating.
- To examine the mindset meaning system as a mediator between growth mindset and cheating.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of growth mindset promotion in reducing academic dishonesty.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Randomized controlled trial (N=120) with a single-session growth mindset intervention and subsequent cheating assessment.
- Study 2: Cross-sectional survey (N=475) to assess the indirect relationship between growth mindset and cheating via the mindset meaning system.
Main Results:
- The growth mindset intervention significantly increased growth mindset levels and decreased cheating behavior (Study 1).
- Growth mindset indirectly related to cheating through the mindset meaning system, not directly (Study 2).
- The mindset meaning system mediates the relationship between growth mindset and academic dishonesty.
Conclusions:
- Promoting a growth mindset is a potentially effective strategy for reducing academic cheating.
- Interventions should focus on fostering malleable beliefs about abilities to influence student behavior.
- Understanding the mindset meaning system is crucial for designing effective anti-cheating strategies.
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