Identifying HEXACO personality types: what do type characteristics tell us about student misconduct?

Background: While previous research has largely focused on individual trait associations with academic misbehaviour, this study used a person-centred approach to explore personality type differences in student misconduct. The distribution of the personality types was also compared across sociodemographic groups and fields of study.

Methods: A sample of 1,398 health and non-health university students replied to a multiple-choice questionnaire covering HEXACO personality traits, eight forms of academic misconduct, and background information. Personality types were explored through cluster analysis, and differences in their behaviour and characteristics were examined using chi-square test and ANOVA.

Results: The five personality types identified differed in their self-reported academic misconduct. Risk-takers disclosed the highest levels of misconduct, followed by Performance-oriented students, who had competitive dispositions. Secure and Socially Considerate students exhibited more well-adjusted and prosocial traits, respectively, disclosing the lowest rates of misconduct. Insecure students scored higher than these two types on Plagiarism, combining traits associated with psychological distress that may affect their performance. The personality types also revealed gender and socioeconomic differences, and a more uniform distribution in health than in non-health fields.

Conclusion: This study expands on past research by analysing a distinct set of personality types in association with academic misconduct. Understanding the psychosocial characteristics and field of study distribution of these types helped to propose tailored educational strategies to foster their compliance with academic integrity.

Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-07599-5.