the role of adolescent strain and moral disengagement in ai-assisted academic plagiarism: an integrative model using the theory of planned behavior and general strain theory

The increasing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) platforms for plagiarism is a significant concern in higher education, particularly among marketing undergraduate students in the United States. This study examines the influence of adolescent strain and moral obligation on students’ intentions to use AI for plagiarism, utilizing an integrative framework rooted in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and General Strain Theory (GST). According to TPB, key behavioral determinants: attitude, moral obligation, and past behavior, affect students’ ethical decision-making. GST further contextualizes this by explaining how academic and non-academic strain can lead to negative coping mechanisms, such as AI-assisted plagiarism. We hypothesize that heightened adolescent strain and moral obligation will contribute to weakened ethical decision-making and a greater likelihood of misconduct (AI-assisted plagiarism) as a coping mechanism. Past behavior significantly predicts future plagiarism, underscoring the importance of addressing academic misconduct mechanisms. Integrating TPB and GST, this study highlights how both structural and psychological factors shape ethical behavior, informing policy and support strategies for educators.