Dishonesty Tendencies in Testing Scenarios Among Students with Virtual Reality and Computer-Mediated Technology

2026-03-09

AI Summary

This study investigates the impact of virtual reality (VR) compared to traditional computer-based interfaces on academic cheating behavior. Through a controlled experiment, it directly compares the incidence of dishonesty among students completing assessments using VR headsets versus laptop computers, integrating behavioral log data with post-task survey responses. The findings reveal no statistically significant difference in cheating rates between the two media, suggesting that immersive VR technology per se neither exacerbates nor mitigates tendencies toward academic dishonesty. By providing empirical evidence on how emerging immersive technologies influence ethical conduct in educational settings, this research addresses a critical gap in the literature on the ethical implications of VR in academic contexts and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of technology-mediated academic integrity.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters
• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Privacy & Security
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Simulating Human Behavior

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics for personalization
• Responsible Web: Social and technical mechanisms of refusal for web technologies and applications
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Fairness, privacy, and diversity in economic environments

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) systems have the potential to be an innovation in the field of e-learning. Starting with fully functional e-classes, VR technologies can be used to build entire e-campuses. The power of VR is that it allows for stronger contact with students than computer-mediated technology. Deceptive behaviour, both verbal and nonverbal, refers to intentional activities designed to deceive others. Students often engage in dishonest practices to make progress. Whether it is cheating on an exam, copying another student's essay, or inflating their GPA, the motivation for cheating is rarely simply a lack of preparation. Even though some may see academic dishonesty as an asset, the reality is that it can have major consequences. This poster demonstrates the findings from a study of students' deceitful behaviour during a test in VR and in real-life situations. For this user study, 22 volunteers were invited to participate, with each experiment involving exactly two participants and the examiner present in the room. Students were invited to take two tests: one in VR and one on a laptop. Their goal was to score as many points as possible by simulating a real-world online exam. Participants were requested to complete questionnaires during and after each experiment, which assisted in collecting additional data for this study. The results indicate that the amount of cheating that happened in VR and on a laptop was exactly the same.

Problem

• academic dishonesty
• virtual reality
• computer-mediated technology
• cheating behavior
• e-learning

Innovation

• virtual reality
• academic dishonesty
• cheating behavior
• e-learning
• user study