Conceptualizing Academic Entitlement: What are we Measuring?

The issue of academic entitlement has received increased attention from researchers in recent years. While these studies have attempted to measure academic entitlement (AE), these attempts appear to be assessing differing dimensions. As well, attempts by these studies to define AE have been either inconsistent or non-existent. The aim of the present study was to determine the dimensions of AE and place it within a nomological network. An exploratory factor analysis indicated that there were seven distinct dimensions of AE, which include narcissism, professors agency, arguing for grades, expectations for grade increase, professors etiquette, reward for effort, and input on classroom operations. Relationships were found between AE and psychological entitlement, academic motivation, academic self-efficacy, and academic goal orientation. With AE being distinct from psychological entitlement and related to the majority of its proposed nomological network, this study suggests that AE is a valid construct within the realm of educational psychology.