AI Plagiarism Intention: The Role of Individualism-Collectivism Culture Moderated by Performance-based GoalOrientation

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) plagiarism has become a vital problem threatens academic integrity in higher education. Several studies have tried to uncover its causes from both individual and cultural factors. However, research on the influence of cultural factors on AI plagiarism is still scarce and inconsistent in its results. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study examined whether students' cultural orientation (i.e., individualism and collectivism) predicts AI plagiarism intention and whether performance-based goal orientation moderates this relationship. Cultural orientation was measured as students' tendency to endorse individualistic or collectivistic values, whereas AI plagiarism intention referred to students' willingness to use generative AI in ways that violate academic integrity standards. A cross-sectional survey involving 214 Indonesian university students was conducted using convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) implemented in SmartPLS 4. The findings indicated that collectivism was positively associated with AI plagiarism intention, whereas individualism showed no significant relationship. Contrary to expectations, performance-based goal orientation did not significantly moderate the relationship between cultural orientation and AI plagiarism intention Discussion is provided to elaborate these findings.