By Hannah Lee

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tracy Citeroni

Abstract

The Honor Code at the University of Mary Washington educates students not to lie, cheat, or steal. If a student violates the honor code, the case is brought to the Honor Council. Previous studies have shown that students are more likely to be tempted to violate the honor code when under great stress or in a state of poor well-being. In this study, how an individual’s health and well-being influences a student’s decision to violate the Honor Code specifically at the University of Mary Washington was examined by reviewing past honor cases from 2015-2023. When reviewing cases, the primary question asked was: Were there any push factors regarding physical, mental, or emotional health when the respondent made the violation? Upon review, the study found the major health-related reason behind why respondents violated the honor code was panic. By understanding the impacts that a student’s well-being can have on academic integrity, recommendations will be made on how panic-induced situations can be avoided.