The role of moral intention and moral obligation in predicting attitudes toward avoiding AIgiarism: A protection motivation theory perspective

Traditional methods of combating plagiarism have proven ineffective due to the dual use of AI chatbots to plagiarize and avoid detection. Therefore, there is a growing rationale to focus on moral responsibility towards protecting academic integrity. This study investigated the impact of students...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ismail Mohamed Ali, Ibrahim Arpaci
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Computers in Human Behavior Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245195882500096X
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Summary:Traditional methods of combating plagiarism have proven ineffective due to the dual use of AI chatbots to plagiarize and avoid detection. Therefore, there is a growing rationale to focus on moral responsibility towards protecting academic integrity. This study investigated the impact of students' moral intentions and moral obligations on their attitudes toward avoiding AI-assisted plagiarism (AIgiarism). Data was collected from a representative group of 263 students and analyzed using “partial least squares structural equation modeling” (PLS-SEM) and “artificial neural network” (ANN). The results revealed that students' moral intentions and obligations positively influenced their attitudes towards avoiding AIgarism. “Protection motivation theory” (PMT) constructs positively predicted students' moral intentions. Moreover, the results of the ANN analysis showed that moral obligation and intention were the most critical factors influencing students’ attitudes toward avoiding plagiarism. This study will help educational institutions develop AI-supported anti-plagiarism solutions in areas such as identification, instilling moral responsibility, and creating an environment of trust and support.
ISSN:2451-9588