Many organizations give personality tests as a way to determine whether or not an individual would be a good fit, or if they are simply telling people what they want to hear. However, these tendencies can also occur in potential students during an admissions interview, and it may be a good idea to distribute personality tests if academic officials believe that a student could be cheating frequently.

According to researchers from the Ohio State University at Newark, narcissistic students are more motivated to cheat their way to the top because they will be able to show off more to their peers.

"Narcissists feel the need to maintain a positive self-image and they will sometimes set aside ethical concerns to get what they want," said Amy Brunell, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University at Newark.

Researchers observed 199 students and asked them to choose statements that best described themselves. The study also examined how often the students cheated on exams, and their levels of self-esteem.

"You would think that the belief that you are a special person and that you can do what you want would be associated with cheating," Brunell said. "But instead, we're finding that it is the desire to show off that really seems to drive cheating."

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