Personality predictors of AI-assisted academic cheating: The role of the dark triad, honesty–humility, self-enhancement values, and moral rationalization

The rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools has created new opportunities for academic misconduct. Two studies examined whether personality traits are associated with self-reported engagement in AI-assisted academic cheating. Study 1 ( N = 195) assessed the Dark Triad traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy), HEXACO Honesty–Humility, and AI-assisted cheating behavior. Correlation analyses indicated that narcissism and psychopathy were positively associated with AI-assisted cheating, whereas Honesty–Humility was negatively associated. Machiavellianism was not significantly associated. Study 2 ( N = 474) extended these findings in a larger, more diverse sample and examined associated psychological processes. Results showed that associations between Dark Triad traits and AI-assisted cheating varied across traits and analyses, whereas Honesty–Humility consistently showed a negative association. Further analyses showed that moral rationalization and self-enhancement values statistically mediated the associations between personality traits and AI-assisted cheating. Together, these findings suggest that AI-assisted academic cheating is associated with both dispositional traits and underlying cognitive-motivational processes.