Academic entitlement decreases engagement in and out of the classroom and increases classroom incivility attitudes

Abstract

Previous research has indicated that academic entitlement can serve as a barrier between students and the benefits of a university education. As entitled students function as consumers and externalize responsibility for their learning outcomes, they risk lower grades and anti-intellectualism attitudes. This study explored how academic entitlement can be damaging to the student via engagement and social interaction deficits, as well as to faculty and the university at large through a lack of civility and appropriate classroom behaviors. One hundred ninety-seven undergraduate students completed scales on academic entitlement, student and schoolwork engagement, social adjustment to college, emotion regulation, plagiarism attitudes, classroom citizenship, and classroom incivility behaviors. Increased academic entitlement was associated with decreased engagement in and out of the classroom; poor social adjustment to university; poor academic emotion regulation strategies; a lack of appropriate classroom behaviors; and a greater acceptance of plagiarism, academic dishonesty, and incivility. Future research exploring how academic entitlement decreases university affiliation, commitment, and retention is recommended.