<![CDATA[This study evaluated the causal impact of peer conformity pressure on the academic integrity of second-year undergraduate students within the Filipino socio-cultural context. Utilizing a true experimental, between-subjects design, 28 sophomore students (M = 20.10 years, SD = 0.62) from the Philippine Normal University, Manila, were randomized into a control group (n = 13, independent task execution) or an experimental group (n = 15, exposure to a manipulated, incorrect group consensus via a synchronous virtual platform). Data collected from the Academic Integrity Scale, Conformity Tendency Scale, and the Scientific Reasoning Scale were analyzed using a two-way mixed-design ANOVA. The omnibus test revealed a non-significant interaction effect between group assignment and testing phases, F (3, 104) = 0.07, p = .975, indicating that immediate exposure to conflicting peer answers did not induce fraudulent adjustment or compromise behavioral integrity. Conversely, a robust main effect emerged showing that highly crystallized baseline configurations of self-reported honesty strongly predicted an increased capacity to resist situational peer conformity (p < .001). These findings indicate that internal moral convictions and analytical reasoning function as powerful cognitive buffers against situational distortions, suggesting that the indigenous Filipino value of pakikisama (interpersonal harmony) does not mandate ethical capitulation. In practice, higher education institutions should transition to integrity frameworks that cultivate intrinsic moral ownership and cognitive autonomy rather than relying on superficial compliance mechanisms.]]>
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