General psychology Essay

Presentation ALMOST CERTAINLY YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE COME ACROSS THE IDEA OF PLAGIARISM ALREADY. Written falsification IS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION OF OTHER PEOPLES’ WORK AS IF IT IS YOUR OWN, FOR YOUR GAIN. THE IDEAS AROUND PLAGIARISM ARE PRESENTED TO STUDENTS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS †SOMETIMES PLAGIARISM IS SEEN AS A DREADFUL CRIME. WE WANT TO PRESENT IT HERE IN THE CONTEXT OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF ACADEMIC HONESTY AND WHAT IS TERMED ‘ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT’. YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THESE THINGS BECAUSE THEY SHOULD GUIDE YOUR MANNER OF WORKING IN HIGHER EDUCATION. Written falsification AND CHEATING ARE SERIOUS ISSUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION, AND PLAGIARISM, IN PARTICULAR, IS INCREASING A GREAT DEAL AT PRESENT. WE WANT YOU TO HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AND THE GOOD WORKING HABITS THAT ENABLE YOU TO MAKE EFFECTIVE AND APPROPRIATE JUDGEMENTS IN YOUR WORK. THIS UNIT IS DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS NEAR THE STARTING POINT OF HIGHER EDUCATION STUDIES. IT PROVIDES THE INFORMATION AND SKILLS THAT YOU NEED AT PRESENT †AND YOU WILL HAVE MORE MATERIAL ON THIS TOPIC AT A LATER STAGE, WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT. The point of this unit is to: - HELP YOU TO GET A CLEAR IDEA OF ACADEMIC HONESTY AND ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT - CLARIFY THE MEANINGS OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT †CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM AND COLLUSION - PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO BE ACADEMICALLY HONEST; - IDENTIFY AND HELP YOU TO ATTAIN THE SKILLS THAT YOU NEED FOR ACADEMIC HONESTY AND GOOD PRACTICE 1 AS WELL AS PROVIDING SOME EXERCISES TO HELP YOU TO LEARN FROM THIS MATERIAL, THIS UNIT IS INTENDED TO BE A RESOURCE TO WHICH YOU MAY WISH TO RETURN FOR GUIDANCE. THE ANSWERS TO THE EXERCISES ARE AT THE END OF THE UNIT. A few focuses to consider AS A STUDENT YOU SHOULD LEARN ABOUT ACADEMIC HONESTY BECAUSE IT IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION Behavior. THERE ARE SEVERAL ASPECTS TO IT. IT INVOLVES: - ENSURING FAIRNESS TO THOSE WHO HAVE PRODUCED NEW KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS; - ENSURING THAT THE WORK THAT A PERSON SAYS IS HER OWN IS INDEED HER OWN; - THE DISCOURAGEMENT FROM CHEATING TO GAIN UNFAIR PERSONAL ADVANTAGE. THE INTENTION TO DECEIVE STAFF OR THE INSTITUTION IS CENTRAL TO THE ACTIVITY OF THE PLAGIARIST OR CHEAT. Be that as it may, IT IS NOT FAIR ON YOU, AS A STUDENT, IF YOUR FELLOW COLLEAGUES CHEAT AND Plagiarize AND THEREBY GET BETTER MARKS. SAM, SUZANNE, IZZY, AND KATRINE ARE IN A LEVEL 1 CLASS AT SOMOUTH UNIVERSITY. THEY ARE ALL STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY AND ARE IN A CLASS OF OVER A HUNDRED AND EIGHTY STUDENTS. THEIR SEMINAR SESSIONS ARE THIRTY IN NUMBER AND SO FAR THEY DO NOT FEEL KNOWN AS INDIVIDUALS BY STAFF. SUZANNE HAS BEEN STRUGGLING BECAUSE SHE, UNLIKE THE OTHERS, DID NOT STUDY PSYCHOLOGY AT SCHOOL. SHE HAS BEEN QUITE DEPRESSED ABOUT IT AND HAS ASKED THE OTHERS FOR HELP. THEY DID WHAT THEY COULD, BUT SHE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IT IN. On occasion SHE TALKS ABOUT LEAVING UNIVERSITY. THEY COME TO THE COURSEWORK ASSESSMENT AT THE END OF LEVEL 1 AND TO EVERYONE’S SURPRISE, SUZANNE COMES OUT WITH ONE OF THE HIGHEST MARKS IN THE CLASS. THE TUTOR PRAISES HER WORK AT THE NEXT SEMINAR AS BEING WELL CONSTRUCTED, AND PARTICULARLY WELL WRITTEN. SUZANNE IS CLEARLY HAPPY AND THEY ALL GO OUT FOR A DRINK IN THE EVENING. Affected by A FEW PINTS SHE LETS SLIP THAT SHE PAID ANOTHER STUDENT IN HER HOUSE (FROM LEVEL 2) TO WRITE IT. AFTER THE TIME AND EFFORT THE OTHERS HAVE PUT INTO HELPING SUZANNE, AND DOING THEIR OWN WORK, THE OTHERS FEEL CHEATED BY HER ACTION. THE ATTITUDE TO PLAGIARISM CAN DIFFER IN DIFFERENT CULTURES, FOR EXAMPLE SOMETIMES IT CAN BE CONSIDERED TO BE AN Honorable ACT TO REPRODUCE THE EXACT WORDS OF THE EXPERT TEACHER. IN THE UK THE NORM IS TO EXPECT STUDENTS TO PRODUCE THEIR OWN WORK. THEY WILL, OF COURSE, USE THE WORK OF OTHERS WITHIN THEIR WORK AND WHERE THIS OCCURS THE OTHERS’ WORK NEEDS TO BE CITED AND WHEN QUOTED, MARKED AS A QUOTATION. SOME INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MAY NEED TO ADJUST TO UK NORMS WHEN STUDYING HERE. 2 LAU COMES FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA. HE WAS ENCOURAGED TO GIVE GREAT RESPECT TO HIS TEACHERS, THERE AND TO REGARD THEM AS EXPERTS WHOSE WORK WAS TO BE EMULATED. HE IS VERY TAKEN ABACK WHEN HE IS TOLD THAT HIS EXAMINATION PAPER SHOULD EXPRESS MORE OF HIS OWN IDEAS AND SHOULD NOT CONTAIN MATERIAL THAT HE MUST HAVE LEARNT BY HEART FROM HIS LECTURE NOTES. HE FINDS IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW HE, HIMSELF COULD HAVE ANYTHING WORTHWHILE TO SAY AT THIS STAGE. In the event that YOU ARE AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AND FEEL THAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL IN THIS UNIT, ASK A TUTOR OR STUDY ADVISOR FOR MORE HELP. A few definitions and clarifications WE HAVE SAID THAT THE AVOIDANCE OF CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM IS A MATTER OF HAVING INFORMATION AND A SET OF SKILLS THAT BECOME GOOD HABITS OF WORKING. WE START BY LOOKING AT A SET OF EXPLANATIONS AS PART OF THE INFORMATION, AND THEN YOU WILL BE GIVEN SEVERAL DEFINITIONS. YOU DO NOT NEED TO Memorize THESE DEFINITIONS, BUT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THEM. TO START WITH, WE INTRODUCE THE TERM ‘ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT’ TO MEAN THE USE OF DISHONEST ACADEMIC Behavior TO ONE’S OWN BENEFIT. THE TERM INCLUDES CHEATING, PLAGIARISM AND COLLUSION. Obviously, SUZANNE ILLUSTRATES ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT IN HER Behavior †AND THAT WAS PLAGIARISM. CHEATING IS OFTEN SEEN AS A Behavior THAT OCCURS IN EXAMINATIONS, BUT IT IS BROADER THAN THAT. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF CHEATING Behavior. SIMON KNEW THAT OTHERS NEEDED A BOOK IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE ESSAYS THAT THEY HAD BEEN SET. HE USED THE LIBRARY BOOK HIMSELF, THEN HANDED IT BACK IN (IT WAS A SHORT-TERM LOAN) AND THEN WHEN HE WAS IN THE LIBRARY THE NEXT DAY, TOOK THE BOOK FROM ITS PROPER LOCATION AND PUT IT IN ANOTHER AREA OF THE LIBRARY. JAMIE WENT INTO THE EXAMINATION WITH TEN KEY NAMES WRITTEN ON HIS ARM IN BALLPOINT PEN JULIETTE WAS DOING A CHEMISTRY DEGREE. HER EXPERIMENT IN CLASS DID NOT GO TOO WELL AND THE DATA SHE ACHIEVED WAS INCOMPLETE. SHE HAD A LOOK AT HER FRIEND’S BOOK AND GOT AN IDEA OF THE APPROPRIATE KIND OF DATA AND MADE SOME UP. CHRISTINA HAD NOT DONE ENOUGH REVISION FOR THE CLASS TEST. SHE TOOK THE DAY OFF, SAYING THAT SHE HAD ‘FLU AND KNOWING THAT SHE WOULD THEN HAVE A BIT MORE TIME TO LEARN FOR THE TEST WHICH SHE WOULD DO LATER. 3 ED HAD A PROJECT IN ENGLISH TO WRITE UP, TO BE HANDED IN AT A PARTICULAR TIME. THERE WAS OTHER ACADEMIC WORK TO BE HANDED IN AT THE SAME TIME AND HE KNEW HE COULD NOT DO ALL OF IT. HE LEFT THE ENGLISH PROJECT UNTIL LAST. AFTER A SESSION IN THE GYM HE COMPLAINED OF A VERY SORE WRIST, PUT A BANDAGE ON IT AND WENT TO SEE HIS TUTOR TO ASK FOR MORE TIME TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT ON THE BASIS THAT HE COULD NOT WRITE VERY QUICKLY AT PRESENT. HIS TUTOR TOLD HIM TO GO TO THE MEDICAL Center AND GET A NOTE. HE CAME BACK TWO DAYS LATER WITH THE PROJECT NOW COMPLETED AND THE WRIST UNBANDAGED AND ‘HEALED’. THE TWO DAYS HAD BEEN VERY USEFUL. ABI WAS ONE OF A GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO WERE WORKING TOGETHER ON A PROJECT THAT WAS TO BE SUBMITTED JOINTLY. SHE HAD GONE INTO HIGHER EDUCATION PARTLY BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO ENJOY A GOOD SOCIAL-LIFE, AND THE PROJECT WAS NOT GOING TO GET IN HER WAY. At the point when THE OTHER STUDENTS IN THE GROUP MET TO WORK ON THE PROJECT, SHE WOULD CONSTANTLY SAY THAT SHE COULD NOT MAKE IT. THEY GOT ON WITH THE PROJECT, COMPLETED IT AND HANDED IT IN WITH ABI’S NAME ON IT AS WELL. THEY RESENTED HER Behavior, BUT BEING IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THEIR Program, DID NOT KNOW EACH OTHER VERY WELL AND DID NOT KNOW HOW TO INDICATE ABI’S LACK OF CONTRIBUTION. Unoriginality, AS WE HAVE SAID, IS ANOTHER FORM OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND IT REQUIRES A RATHER SPECIAL EXPLANATION WHICH IS AS FOLLOWS: THOSE WHO WORK IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CAN BE SEEN AS WORKING IN A COMMUNITY †THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY. THIS COMMUNITY HAS A SET OF RULES TO WHICH IT WORKS. Scholastic CONVENTIONS ARE THESE RULES AND ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT IS THE Behavior THAT CONTRAVENES THESE AGREED RULES. THESE RULES, OBVIOUSLY IDENTIFY CHEATING AS A CONTRAVENTION HOWEVER, THERE ARE ASPECTS OF THESE RULES THAT REFER TO THE ‘OWNERSHIP’ OF IDEAS. As indicated by THESE RULES OR CONVENTIONS, NEW IDEAS ARE TREATED LIKE PROPERTY THAT SOMEONE OWNS. ONE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THERE ARE REWARDS AND AWARDS (GRANTS, PRIZES, QUALIFICATIONS, DEGREES ETC) GIVEN TO PEOPLE FOR THE QUALITY OF THEIR IDEAS. FOLLOWING FROM THE NOTION OF NEW IDEAS AS PROPERTY, WE CAN CONSIDER THE USE OF UNATTRIBUTED IDEAS FOR THE GAIN OF ANOTHER PERSON, AS A FORM OF THEFT. BY ‘UNATTRIBUTED’, WE MEAN THE LACK OF ATTACHMENT OF A NAME AND SOURCE TO THE IDEA †SO IT IS AS IF THE IDEA IS THAT OF THE WRITER. Different WORDS FOR ‘ATTRIBUTE’ ARE REFERENCE, ACKNOWLEDGE AND CITE. YOU USUALLY REFERENCE THE IDEA OF ANOTHER IN THE TEXT (WHERE YOU HAVE REFERRED TO THE IDEA, OR QUOTED FROM IT) AND IN A REFERENCE LIST AT THE END OF YOUR WORK. Written falsification IS THE TERM FOR PASSING OFF ANOTHER’S WORK AS ONE’S OWN FOR ONE’S OWN BENEFIT. IT USUALLY THAT OTHERS’ IDEAS HAVE BEEN ‘BORROWED’ WITHOUT BEING REFERENCED TO THE ORIGINAL CREATOR OF THE IDEA. Written falsification OCCURS WHETHER THE ‘PASSING OFF OF THE WORK AS ONE’S OWN’ IS INTENTIONAL OR UNINTENTIONAL. WE HAVE TO SAY THAT PLAGIARISM MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL BECAUSE ANYONE CAN ALWAYS CLAIM THAT ‘S/HE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT PLAGIARISM’. 4 CORRESPONDINGLY THEREFORE, TEACHERS AND INSTITUTIONS HAVE TO BE CLEAR THEMSELVES THAT THEY HAVE ENSURED THAT STUDENTS HAVE RECEIVED APPROPRIATE OPPORTUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND TO HAVE LEARNT THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO BEHAVE WITH ACADEMIC HONESTY. The following ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF PLAGIARISM: EMMA WAS DOING A LAW DEGREE AND FOUND THAT HER FLAT-MATE HAD DONE THE SAME MODULE THE YEAR BEFORE AND WAS WILLING TO LET EMMA LOOK AT HER ESSAYS †BUT INSISTED THAT SHE SHOULD NOT COPY ANY OF I