Validating the Attitudes Toward Plagiarism Scale and Examining the Interrelationships among its Constructs

Abstract

This study validates the Attitudes Toward Plagiarism (ATP) scale and investigates the interrelationships among its three constructs: positive attitudes, negative attitudes, and subjective norms regarding plagiarism. Data were collected from 720 students across two universities in Bangladesh. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on data from one university (n = 412), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on data from another university (n = 308). The EFA extracted 20 items from the original 29-item ATP scale, while the CFA retained a 17-item version. Both analyses confirmed the ATP's original three-factor structure. Pearson's correlation and structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed using the total sample (n = 720) to examine the relationships among the constructs. The results of Pearson's correlation showed significant positive correlations among the ATP constructs. SEM analysis revealed that subjective norms significantly influenced positive attitudes, and positive attitudes significantly mediated the relationship between subjective norms and negative attitudes toward plagiarism.