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(2004) self-report, 240-item Values-In-Action: Inventory of display of overpowered integrity. Reliance on the head
Strengths (VIA-IS) to generate both student and occupation- (“Think as I Say”) approach is simply not enough incentive
specific “top-5” character strength profiles from the popula- for the vast majority of our students to forego cheating.
tion of all 24 VIA-IS strengths (Wright & Klotz, 2017). For Fortunately, social learning experience-based techniques
example, the top-5 character strength profile for an accoun- involving such heart- (“Feel as You Think”) and hands-based
tant (rated by both students and working professionals) (“Do as You Feel”) approaches as the development of a char-
includes prudence, integrity, industry, critical thinking, and acter-based vocabulary and identification of actual character
valor. As with accountants, integrity is rated as a top-5 strength development exercises offer much promise for suc-
strength of character for a number of occupations (Wright, cess as intervention strategies. However, as the following
2015). class “experience” indicates, there is much work to be done
The only problem is that operationally speaking, more regarding circumstances involving moral hypocrisy.
than 80% of business students admit to cheating, a serious In moral hypocrisy, the stated goal (“to be moral”) is not
lapse in stated integrity. The question becomes one of what just simply overpowered, it is actually displaced by the desire
to do? Wright’s (2015) 3-H (“head,” “heart,” and “hand”) to maintain complete control over their desired (but unstated)
approach to the development of character holds particular outcome (“act in one’s self-interest”). An interesting discus-
promise. The head approach is cognitive based and is consis- sion in one of the lead author’s recent undergraduate
tent with a traditional lecture format (“Think as I Say”). Principles of Management classes indicates that moral
Alternatively, the heart approach is affective or feeling based hypocrisy may be becoming the norm. In a spirited discus-
and the first step in making character more personal and sion on business ethics and moral motivation, the class
meaningful to the individual (“Feel as You Think”). Finally, reached the consensus that ethics and morals were not some-
the hands approach is the key to making character personally what, not mostly, but solely determined situationally. What
“real” to the individual and is best described in terms of an you should morally do depends entirely on the context in
action or behavior-based orientation (“Do as You Feel”). which one finds oneself (“When in Rome, do as the Romans
do”). To test the scope of this belief (the same conclusion has
The 3-H Approach to Character been reached in every other class in which the lead author
has initiated this discussion), students were provided with a
Development number of potential essay exam questions in advance.

Adopting Bandura’s social learning or modeling framework Included in this list was the following question:
(Bandura, 1977), the 3-H approach interactively presents
participants with techniques designed to encourage them to According to Pavela, academic cheating is “intentionally using
become more proactive and self-regulatory. In particular, or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or
techniques are discussed to help develop an agentic motiva- study aids in any academic exercise.” Using the utilitarian,
tional perspective to character formation and development rights, justice, and virtue moral perspectives as your framework,
and incorporating relevant assigned class readings, is it ever
(for a further discussion, see Wright, 2015). The underlying appropriate for a student to cheat? Be specific in your answer
assumption of an agentic approach to learning is that partici- and be sure to define your terms. (Emphasis added)
pants are motivated to come to consider themselves as self-
regulatory and self-reflective organisms (“Do as You Feel”), The following quote from John Locke (from Some Thoughts
not just as passive beings reacting to influences from their Concerning Education, 1693/2007) was added immediately
environment (“Think as I Say”). Multiple social learning after this question to cue the previous classroom discussion
experience-based techniques including various forms of on moral motivation:
role-playing, the development of a character-based vocabu-
lary, and identification of character role models have incor- Virtue is harder to be got than knowledge of the world;
porated the 3-H approach into the lead author’s classes. As
one example, consider the following overpowered integrity and, if lost in a young man, is seldom recovered
situation.
A student may initially tell himself that he will not cheat Unlike the class discussion, all but one student defini-
on an exam (“Think as I Say”). However, when he shows up tively stated in their essay answer cheating is never accept-
for the exam, he may observe that the professor’s teaching able under any circumstances. Using the overpowered
assistant is monitoring the exam. The assistant further makes integrity framework perspective, one could argue that the
it clear to the class that he or she does not intend to actively class discussion involving the initial development of a char-
pursue instances of cheating. Finally, and most importantly, a acter-based vocabulary and identification of character role
number of his classmates indicate that they are going to cheat, models worked!
given the professor grades on the curve. For many students, When the lead author brought up in a later class discussion
this may constitute a sufficient enough condition for the that the change in perspective over the course of the semester