Honor codes work...when students are reminded of them.

“Cheaters never win and winners never cheat.” Tell that to Chevy Chase:

Now, sure, some students in some circumstances are likely to cheat like Chevy here, despite our best efforts. But, I’ve been pretty convinced by James Lang and his great book “Cheating Lessons” that in many cases better course design and more motivating and empowering classroom climates can significantly decrease the likelihood of cheating. I think there’s good evidence that cheating is less likely in classrooms where students feel autonomous and where learning is prioritized over competition. But, even the best-intentioned students sometimes need a reminder about cheating. Honor codes are a popular way to educate and remind students about academic integrity. Here’s the one we use at UNC. And a new study has found they work, when students are reminded of them.

Zhao et al. (2023) created items that undergraduates could not solve without cheating, and then tested a bunch of reminder interventions to see if they decreased cheating behavior. They did! (Across two studies, with the second pre-registered.) Brief reminders about academic integrity policies (e.g., an Honor Code), descriptions of academic dishonesty, and reminders about the negative consequences of cheating all led to less cheating behavior than no reminder at all. So, the take-home is that it’s likely a good idea to include a brief reminder about the Honor Code before exams, particularly ones done “on one’s honor” outside of class and observation.

Now, I suspect reminder efficacy varies across climate and culture. Lang’s book, and other research, suggest we can and should do more to create a positive academic integrity climate in classrooms. But nonetheless, I suspect it doesn’t hurt to add a reminder about the Honor Code before the test, as well.