Effects of Training and Environment on Graduate Students’ Self-Rated Knowledge and Judgments of Responsible Research Behavior

Abstract

Training programs, departmental/disciplinary norms, and individual factors (e.g., personality traits) have been hypothesized to influence (un)ethical behavior. This exploratory study surveyed graduate students from a single university in the American Southeast. Relationships were examined among 496 participants’ individual characteristics, training, self-rated knowledge and decision-making skills in research conduct, and judgments of ethically questionable vignettes. Key findings include the increased likelihood of unethical action by students in online programs, a negative relationship between age and unethical actions, and a negative relationship between agreeableness and reports that a peer would take an unethical action. Graduate training was unrelated to judgments of ethicality.

Keywords:

• ethics
• graduate training
• predictors
• research