Background and Aim: The fusion of ideas blurs the boundaries between thought, action, and reality, causing the individual to accept these beliefs without questioning their validity in reality. Academic ethics is a set of values that encourage students to avoid cheating and adherence to ethical standards, as well as to be honest and accurate in research and publishing scientific works. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between fusion of ideas and academic ethics in medical students.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted using convenience sampling method in 2024 at Golestan University of Medical Sciences. The sample size included 557 students from the fields of medicine, dentistry, midwifery, nursing, anesthesiology, laboratory sciences, nutritional sciences, environmental health, public health, and operating room. The data collection tool was the online Thought Confusion Questionnaire and Academic Ethics Questionnaire. The data had a normal distribution, and SPSS 27 software and parametric tests of independent t-test, chi-square, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation test were used to analyze the data at a significance level of 0.05.
Results: The mean and standard deviation of the students' academic integrity scores were 41.14 ± 4.38, And for cognitive dissonance was 46.41 ± 19.38. No significant correlation was found between academic integrity scores and cognitive dissonance (P = 0.71, r = -0.01). However, A significant relationship was observed between the variables of gender (P = 0.001), field of study (P = 0.001), and faculty (P = 0.001) with thought fusion. Additionally, a statistically significant relationship was found between the father's education level and academic ethics (P = 0.024) and thought fusion (P = 0.011).
Conclusion: The status of academic ethics and thought fusion, which plays an important role in the occurrence of various psychological disorders, was very good among medical students. The absence of a statistically significant relationship between thought fusion and academic ethics indicates the students' skill in separating automatic thoughts from conscious moral behaviors. These results can be used to design and implement educational programs. Encouraging open discussions about ethical challenges and providing real examples of situations that require ethical decision-making is recommended in universities.