DAY 83 - Cheating.....Why Is It Wrong?

This is a high definition image of a thief trying to sneak away with a bag of loot

"It's not cheating unless you're caught".

Cheating can be defined in many contexts. It can mean violating accepted rules to gain an advantage, such as in a game, in an examination, or in payment of taxes. Cheating can involve fraud, such as when a cashier cheats a customer out of their correct change. It can mean being unfaithful to a spouse. However, what is common to all is an act of deception, of dishonesty.

Cheating is all around us, and many point to a pandemic of cheating in this early part of the 21st century. On a daily basis, you find stories of cheating in education, sports, business, and politics. At a personal level, cheating on spouses has become easier with the Internet and social networking sites that facilitate the activity. People cheat while playing games; in fact, many computer games come with built-in cheat codes that allow someone in the know (usually after purchasing the cheat codes) to be able to out-play the non-cheaters. In this case, cheating is rewarded.

Why is cheating wrong?

Cheating, by definition, is a wrongful act. It implies that the cheater is doing something that is not, or should not, be allowed. Cheating is unethical behaviour by definition. It is playing outside the rules. But, why is cheating wrong? Several reasons can be given:

• It is unfair
  In a competitive situation, cheaters attempt to gain an advantage over non-cheaters by going outside the limits of what is considered acceptable. When people agree to compete, they agree to compete according to specific rules which govern an activity, whether it is Olympic basketball or a family game of Scrabble. If one competitor gains an advantage by playing outside the rules (cheating), it is not fair to the others, who agreed to abide by the rules.

• It is the same as lying
  Cheating involves pretending to be honest while being dishonest - you can't cheat openly. The cheater is showing disrespect for the rights of all others by "pulling a fast one". This makes the others serve the cheater's purpose, which, in Kantian terms, is wrong because it treats them like a means to an end.

• It devalues the activity
  In education, for instance, tests and assignments are qualifications that measure how well a student has mastered the material studied, and students are graded as to whether or not they have met an accepted standard. A medical doctor, for example, may be trained to understand diseases and their cures; when she demonstrates this ability, she will receive an academic certificate that indicates she is qualified to do so. If she cheated and obtained the certificate dishonestly, she has not actually met the standard, even though she appears to have done so. If enough people cheat their way to get medical certificates, of what value are these certificates? What do they prove?

In sports, the purpose of the activity is not winning, but performing well. The idea is that someone who performs well will, or should, be rewarded with victory. If someone cheats to win, then the winning performance is tainted by dishonesty. The whole competition becomes something less than it should be.

Cheating also robs the cheater of a sense of accomplishment: Cheaters know they are not actually entitled to what they have. For instance, if you cheat your way to victory in a computer game that only you are playing, did you actually win? Is your sense of victory, of achievement, of beating the challenge as great as if you would have won honestly? The purpose of a game is to overcome obstacles within an established, agreed set of rules; cheating violates that agreement, even if it is only an agreement with you yourself.

• It has negative social consequences.
  If cheating becomes widespread, it can lead to a general breakdown of trust, as people doubt the honesty of those around them. It can lead to cynicism and distrust of social institutions (e.g. schools), professions (e.g. doctors, engineers), political leadership, or the fairness of the economic system (e.g. business fraud). If most students at university cheat their way to success, of what value is a university degree? What does it actually indicate about the person who holds it? If a significant number of auto mechanics cheated to earn their certification, who can I trust to fix my car? If the stock market is rigged to favour insider traders, why should anyone invest their money in it? Or, just because you have a piece of paper indicating you are qualified, should I let you build my house?

• Cheating is contagious
  
  
  

  Cheating tends to have a corrupting effect on people who wouldn't normally cheat, since they don't want to be at a disadvantage if everyone else is doing it. This becomes a self-fulfilling statement meaning if more and more people feel that it's okay to cheat because more and more people are cheating, then, indeed, more and more people will cheat. This is particularly the case in competitive situations, such as education or sports. If the most successful students or athletes are cheating, and you want to be successful, why not cheat?

The perception, right or wrong, that others around them are cheating can lead otherwise honest people to cheat themselves. Cheating is related to a general breakdown of trust, because if you believe that some people are cheating and getting away with it, you can't be sure who is actually cheating and who isn't. If you have doubt of the fairness of a situation, it will chip away at your honesty, tempting you towards cheating. The perception that others are cheating tends to encourage people to cheat.

Philosophically, cheating can be condemned or defended, based on different Ethical Normative Systems. Virtue systems that emphasize fair dealing, such as Buddhism, would condemn cheating as not promoting universal justice. The same could be said for Duty Systems, such as Kantianism, which would argue that if I cheat I must believe it is acceptable for everyone to cheat, leading to a general breakdown of standards. Consequentialists, such as the Utilitarians, might argue that cheating would not bring about the greatest good, as I would be placing my good above that of others. This would mean cheating is a wrongful act.

On the other hand, a rational egoist of the Objectivist school might argue that cheating was okay, so long as I could get away with it, since it benefited me, which is the highest good. An Existentialist might also argue that cheating was acceptable, because I was demonstrating my freedom by not following the rules of others, provided I cheated in a spirit of authenticity to my own ideals. A Utilitarian could argue that, depending on the situation, cheating might promote the greatest happiness when playing by the rules would not.

Why do people cheat?

There are many reasons why people cheat. The reasons here are not exhaustive. Many times people try to 'rationalize cheating, pretending it is right when they know it is wrong, coming up with excuses to relieve their own feeling of guilt over committing a wrong act.

• To gain an advantage.
  One reason people cheat is to gain an advantage. Cheating can allow someone to score better on a test, win more easily in a sport, or make more money. Our society is highly competitive. There is lot of pressure on people to perform and, even more, to win. In many situations, the stakes are high. In education, a better grade can mean huge advantages in terms of scholarships and employment. In sports, fame and fortune are awarded to winners; losers are forgotten. Bending the rules in business can mean making a fortune. If the chance of being caught is low, or the punishment for cheating considerably less than the potential reward, this is a prime temptation to cheat.

• To right a wrong.
  Cheating also occurs when people perceive an injustice in the system and believe cheating is necessary to level the playing field, to make the activity fairer, rather than less fair. If a system is itself seen as unfair, some would argue that by cheating they are making it fairer. For example, if I believe that a teacher is treating me unfairly and giving me lower marks only because of my outspoken opinions against the cruelty of animals in the cosmetic industry, which include the producer of her favourite products, then why shouldn't I cheat to even out her unfair treatment of me? In this case, cheating is seen as an act of social justice, rather than personal gain. Of course, the chief beneficiary of this revised justice is the cheater, which can lead to questions regarding motive and perception - perhaps it's not the teacher discriminating, it's my poor quality work.

• Following the crowd.
  Many people believe that there is nothing wrong with cheating because everyone else is doing it. This runs counter to ethical thinking - just because other people are doing something wrong does not justify it, as shown in instances like the Rwandan genocide, racial segregation laws, or the Holocaust. However, it provides a strong rationalization for some people. This has led to what some commentators are calling a "culture of dishonesty" where it's okay to lie because dishonesty has become a new social norm.

Cheating is not a new thing, but it poses special challenges in the 21st century. It's here to stay.

What's the guy on the right doing?

Cheating in school Academic dishonesty is not a new phenomenon: there are records of students in Ancient Mesopotamia cheating 4000 years ago. However, the culture of dishonesty attitude and the advent of new technologies, particularly the Internet, have vastly increased opportunities to cheat, along with new ways of combating it. In addition, the trend towards high stakes testing, such as the American SAT (Standard Aptitude Test), Ontario's Literacy Test, and other standardized test instruments can put pressure on students, and educators, to cheat to improve test scores.

Student Cheating

Many recent studies have pointed to a pandemic of cheating by students. In many surveys, over 50% of students admit they have cheated; some surveys put the figure at over 80%. This is a vast difference from even a decade ago, with reported cheating nearly doubling. Many students justify their cheating because, "everyone else is doing it". In our competitive society, many also feel under pressure to excel, and when their best is not good enough, they look for any advantage. Very few cheaters get caught, some studies indicating fewer than 10%, making the fear of punishment less daunting: the benefits of cheating outweigh the risks. New technology has vastly facilitated cheating.

Student cheating can take many forms, including:

• Copying answers from another student's test or examination, with or without the consent of the person whose work is being copied; this can be 'wandering eyes', passing notes, or getting outside help via cell phones;
• Bringing crib notes into a test or examination, either on paper, written on your body, or, in recent twists, pre-recorded on devices such as iPods or cell phones; or
• Plagiarism, which is passing off the work of another as your own, particularly for essays and written assignments. While this is nothing new, the internet has greatly facilitated this practice.

Pressures to Cheat on Educational Systems

Some educational systems reward teachers when their students achieve higher grades, particularly on standardized tests. These rewards could be salary bonuses, promotion, or awards. There has been a recent trend towards accountability and outcomes in education. This means reporting on school performance and ranking schools, and, in some cases, teachers, as to what results their students produce, measured in terms of test scores or scholarships awarded. Parents often like this, because it is something quantifiable and tangible because a ranking of "3rd best in the province" is easier to grasp than a generic comment such as, "good quality learning took place".

In Ontario, for example, the results of the OSSLT and EQAO standardized tests are published in the newspapers, announced on television and radio, and available on the internet. Schools are ranked by how well their students have performed. In systems that allow school choice, parents will usually try to send their children to better scoring schools, defined as those that consistently produce better test results. In some systems, schools that score better receive better funding, and in a situation where funding for education is tight, the competition for students (and thus funding), can tempt school administrators to pressure teachers to help students perform better, condoning or even encouraging cheating. In addition, there may be teachers who disagree with the tests or feel they are unfair to some students and will consider subtle forms of cheating to help students perform better.

Check out our rating and ranking on the Literacy and EQAO tests: Fraser Institute's Ranking of Ontario Schools

What is to be done?

The epidemic of cheating in school seems to be increasing. Educating people about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable is effective, but the culture of dishonesty at school seems to be growing. Is the answer greater enforcement of measures to control cheating on tests and examinations, such as searching students before they enter the room? This can lead to civil rights issues related to freedom from unreasonable search. For plagiarism, there is the option of submitting all written work to Internet services which can scan it for indicators of cheating. However, this has raised the issue of copyright and misuse of student work. As well, many argue that forcing students to submit work for "cheater-checking" presumes that some of them are guilty before proven so, which runs counter to our Canadian Charter right to be presumed innocent. Finally, controlling cheating by those in authority presents additional issues related to fairness, professional ethics, and value of qualifications.

 Resources

1. To read a thorough and lengthy article from Maclean's magazine on the issue of cheating in school, click here.
2. To read recent Ontario College of Teachers decisions regarding teacher misconduct, click here.
3. To read about teacher cheating in the United Kingdom, click here.
4. To read about the controversy over the Internet anti-cheating service Turnitin, click here.