title: Perceptions of acceptable conducts by university students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine perceptions of acceptable conducts amongst under and postgraduate optometry students and to compare them with students from other disciplines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students (under/postgraduate) of optometry (n=156) and other courses (n=54) from University of Minho participated in a voluntary online questionnaire about perception of conducts, classifying as acceptable or unacceptable 15 academic or professional scenarios.
  
  
  RESULTS
  210 questionnaires were analyzed. Differences in perceptions were found between optometry under and postgraduates in scenario 5, Chi-square(2,156)=4.3, p=0.038, and scenario 7, Chi-square(2,156)=7.0, p=0.008 (both with cheating more acceptable for postgrads). Differences between under and postgraduates from other courses were found in scenario 9 (taking supplies from classroom more acceptable for undergrads), Chi-square(1,54)=5.0, p=0.025, and scenario 14 (forging a signature more acceptable for postgrads), Chi-square(1,54)=3.9, p=0.046. Differences between optometry and other courses undergraduates were observed in scenario 2 (plagiarism more acceptable for optometry undergrads), Chi-square(1,154)=8.3, p=0.004 and scenario 9 (taking supplies from classroom more acceptable for other undergrads), chi-square(1,54)=7.8, p=0.005. Differences between optometry and other courses postgraduates were observed in scenario 7, Chi-square(1,56)=5.8, p=0.016, scenario 10 (both with cheating more acceptable for optometry postgrads), chi-square(1,54)=8.1, p=0.004 and scenario 14 (forging a signature more acceptable for other postgrads), Chi-square(1,54)=6.1, p=0.026.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Academic misconducts were mainly considered more acceptable than professional misconducts. Our results show that perceptions of acceptable conducts amongst optometry students are not very different from other students, and, against our initial prediction, do not show a general change in misconduct perception when students become more mature. Universities should pay more attention to this problem and take action.
authors: University of Minho, Vision Rehabilitation Lab., Centre of Physics and Optometry, Braga, Portugal.
authors: Dora Nazaré
authors: DN
authors: Marques
authors: University of Minho, Vision Rehabilitation Lab., Centre of Physics and Optometry, Braga, Portugal. Electronic address: filipe3305@gmail.com.
authors: António Filipe
authors: AF
authors: Macedo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D009907:Optometry / Q000941:ethics*; D015714:Plagiarism; D028743:Professional Misconduct / Q000523:psychology*; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013800:Theft / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Academic misconducts; Estudiantes de optometría; Malas conductas académicas; Malas conductas profesionales; Optometry students; Percepciones; Perceptions; Professional misconducts