Modeling Updating of Perceived Detection Risk: The Role of Personal Experience, Peers, Deterrence Policies, and Impulsivity (vol 41, pg 413, 2018)

We investigate how changes in deviant personal experiences, vicarious information, perceptions of deterrence policies, and impulsivity as a conditioning factor affect the perceived detection risk (PDR). We examine this by using the example of plagiarism by German university students using panel data (N = 1,684). Results show, for example, that gaining experience with plagiarism lowered the PDRs, while detection increased the PDRs. Vicarious information indicating low detection risks lowered the PDR of non-plagiarists only. An increase in the estimated use of computer-assisted plagiarism-checks, affected predominantly the PDR of plagiarists. Moreover, more impulsive plagiarists gave less weight to announcements of the use of plagiarism checks.