{
  "abstract": "Academic misconduct predisposition remains an important concern in higher education, and peer behavior perception has emerged as a relevant correlate of students’ academic integrity-related tendencies. Drawing on social cognitive theory and Bandura’s moral disengagement theory, this study examined how perceived peer misconduct is associated with students’self-reported predisposition toward academic misconduct through moral disengagement and shame. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of 418 undergraduate students from a comprehensive university in Shandong, China. Structural equation modeling and Bootstrap analyses with 5,000 resamples were used to estimate a serial mediation model. The results showed that peer behavior perception was positively associated with moral disengagement (β = .423, p < .001), moral disengagement was negatively associated with shame (β = −.223, p < .001), and shame was negatively associated with academic misconduct predisposition (β = −.309, p < .001). The direct association between peer behavior perception and academic misconduct predisposition remained statistically significant (β = .272, p < .001). Bootstrap results further showed significant indirect effects through moral disengagement, through shame, and through the serial pathway from moral disengagement to shame. The serial indirect effect was significant, effect = .026, 95% CI [.01, .04]. These findings suggest that perceived peer misconduct is associated with academic misconduct predisposition partly through higher moral disengagement and lower shame. The study provides a theory-consistent account of how perceived peer norms, moral rationalization, and affective self-sanctions are related to academic integrity among university students.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Dongshin University, Naju, Republic of Korea"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yang Yang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lanxin Hong"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5vfgyvs2k176p.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0358871",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "5vfgyvs2k176p",
  "issns": [
    "1932-6203"
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  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358871",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3311|Academic integrity and plagiarism"
    ],
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      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive science/Cognitive psychology/Academic skills"
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      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Psychological attitudes"
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      "/Science policy/Research integrity/Scientific misconduct"
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      "/Social sciences/Psychology/Cognitive psychology/Academic skills"
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      "/Social sciences/Psychology/Emotions"
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      "/Social sciences/Psychology/Psychological attitudes"
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      "/Social sciences/Sociology/Social theory"
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  "openalex": "W7221800125",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0358871&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5vfgyvs2k176p.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:23Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0358871",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358871"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:neuroscience",
      "subfield": "neuroscience"
    }
  ],
  "title": "How peer behavior shapes academic misconduct: The roles of moral disengagement and shame",
  "title_text": "How peer behavior shapes academic misconduct: The roles of moral disengagement and shame",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:23Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5vfgyvs2k176p",
  "venue": "PLOS One",
  "versions": []
}