Validating the revised plagiarism attitude scale among Malaysian medical sciences students: a psychometric study in multilingual contexts

Abstract Objective This study aims to validate the revised plagiarism attitude scale among Malaysian medical sciences students, particularly focusing on those for whom English is a second language (L2), to understand their perceptions and attitudes towards plagiarism. Study design A cross-sectional...

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Main Authors: Zhenxiao Zhang, Yang Liu, Hamid Sharif-Nia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-04-01
Series:BMC Medical Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07161-3
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author Zhenxiao Zhang
Yang Liu
Hamid Sharif-Nia
author_facet Zhenxiao Zhang
Yang Liu
Hamid Sharif-Nia
author_sort Zhenxiao Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Objective This study aims to validate the revised plagiarism attitude scale among Malaysian medical sciences students, particularly focusing on those for whom English is a second language (L2), to understand their perceptions and attitudes towards plagiarism. Study design A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 549 participants enrolled in medical science programs across Malaysia. Methods The research employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to assess the psychometric properties of the revised plagiarism attitude scale. Key dimensions identified include plagiarism triggers, rationalizing plagiarism, and perceptions of plagiarism severity. Results The scale exhibited high reliability and strong construct validity, with its item structure consistent with previous studies. The findings highlight the significant influence of linguistic and cultural factors on students’ attitudes towards plagiarism. Conclusions This research provides a reliable tool for assessing plagiarism behaviors in multilingual contexts and offers insights for developing targeted educational interventions aimed at enhancing linguistic competence and promoting academic integrity among future healthcare practitioners.
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spelling doaj-art-e847b87eb8d142b78f791c175f10e3962025-08-20T03:18:31ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202025-04-012511810.1186/s12909-025-07161-3Validating the revised plagiarism attitude scale among Malaysian medical sciences students: a psychometric study in multilingual contextsZhenxiao Zhang0Yang Liu1Hamid Sharif-Nia2Foreign Language Teaching Department, Hainan Vocational University of Science and TechnologyForeign Language Teaching Department, Hainan Vocational University of Science and TechnologyPsychosomatic Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical SciencesAbstract Objective This study aims to validate the revised plagiarism attitude scale among Malaysian medical sciences students, particularly focusing on those for whom English is a second language (L2), to understand their perceptions and attitudes towards plagiarism. Study design A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 549 participants enrolled in medical science programs across Malaysia. Methods The research employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to assess the psychometric properties of the revised plagiarism attitude scale. Key dimensions identified include plagiarism triggers, rationalizing plagiarism, and perceptions of plagiarism severity. Results The scale exhibited high reliability and strong construct validity, with its item structure consistent with previous studies. The findings highlight the significant influence of linguistic and cultural factors on students’ attitudes towards plagiarism. Conclusions This research provides a reliable tool for assessing plagiarism behaviors in multilingual contexts and offers insights for developing targeted educational interventions aimed at enhancing linguistic competence and promoting academic integrity among future healthcare practitioners.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07161-3PlagiarismEducationMedicalEthicsProfessionalMultilingualism
spellingShingle Zhenxiao Zhang
Yang Liu
Hamid Sharif-Nia
Validating the revised plagiarism attitude scale among Malaysian medical sciences students: a psychometric study in multilingual contexts
BMC Medical Education
Plagiarism
Education
Medical
Ethics
Professional
Multilingualism
title Validating the revised plagiarism attitude scale among Malaysian medical sciences students: a psychometric study in multilingual contexts
title_full Validating the revised plagiarism attitude scale among Malaysian medical sciences students: a psychometric study in multilingual contexts
title_fullStr Validating the revised plagiarism attitude scale among Malaysian medical sciences students: a psychometric study in multilingual contexts
title_full_unstemmed Validating the revised plagiarism attitude scale among Malaysian medical sciences students: a psychometric study in multilingual contexts
title_short Validating the revised plagiarism attitude scale among Malaysian medical sciences students: a psychometric study in multilingual contexts
title_sort validating the revised plagiarism attitude scale among malaysian medical sciences students a psychometric study in multilingual contexts
topic Plagiarism
Education
Medical
Ethics
Professional
Multilingualism
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07161-3
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