Low self-control and cybercrime: Exploring the utility of the general theory of crime beyond digital piracy

While technological innovations over the last thirty years have markedly improved the ways in which people communicate and gather information, these advances have also led to computer crimes and related deviance becoming permanent fixtures in our society. In an effort to curtail internet offending, it is important for academics and practitioners alike to better understand why some individuals engage in cybercriminality. Criminologists have utilized several theories to investigate this type of deviance, including low self-control theory. However, the vast majority of this prior research has focused on a narrow scope of offending, namely digital piracy. The current study utilizes a sample of 488 undergraduate students to evaluate the theory’s generality hypothesis by examining the extent to which low self-control predicts online deviance in general and beyond digital piracy more specifically. Study results support the generality hypothesis in that low self-control is related to non-digital piracy online deviance. Specific findings, policy implications, and directions for future research are discussed.     

The effect of music streaming services on music piracy among college students

Previous studies examining the intention and level of music piracy among young people have postulated that collective attitudes, optimistic biases toward risk, and beliefs about copyright laws are the key factors involved in their decisions. We extend the analysis by studying the impact of music streaming services. Music streaming is an alternative business model in which, for a small fee, the consumer has access to a large set of songs without downloading them onto their devices. Results from a Logit model show that college students who are frequent users of music streaming are also more likely to download music illegally. A plausible explanation is that those engaged in music streaming are also heavy users of computer technology, software downloading, and digital sharing – factors that facilitate the conditions for music piracy. Demographics, collective attitudes, and beliefs about risk and rewards continue to play a key role in explaining music piracy, but their relevance is slightly reduced once controlled for music streaming usage.     

Software piracy among computing students: a Bruneian scenario

Software piracy committed by university students in the western world has been published widely in various computer literature. Little is reported however about why and what proportion of students, particularly computing students, in a South East Asian Country like Brunei Darussalam, use pirated software. A survey was thus conducted among the computing students of all the higher educational institutions in Brunei Darussalam. A normative model was also developed that brought together eight factors related to student demography, nature of educational institutions and copyright laws. This model was empirically tested using 91 responses received from the survey. Several interesting findings emerged. Firstly, nearly two-thirds of the students admitted to having used pirated software. Secondly, entertainment was the prominent reason for using pirated software. Thirdly, gender, computer experience and ownership of a personal computer, were found to affect students' use of pirated software. Fourthly, even those students who supported the introduction of copyright laws committed software piracy. The implications of these findings are discussed, and are compared with some related studies. Finally, limitations of the study are mentioned, and areas of further research are identified.     

What do computer science students think about software piracy?

Today, software piracy is an issue of global importance. Computer science students are the future information and communication technologies professionals and it is important to study the way they approach this issue. In this article, we attempt to study attitudes, behaviours and the corresponding reasoning of computer science students in Greece regarding software piracy. The statements taken in 56 semi-structured interviews with students indicate that computer science students in Greece make intensive use of pirated software, mention as main reason for their practice the cost of genuine software, and blame the academic environment, coincidental stereotypes and their student status for this behaviour. They acknowledge the immoral character of their actions, as well as the fact that others are affected by software piracy, but they pay little attention to this action and they practically don't care. While keeping distance from software development companies, when specifically asked, they easily adopt the role of a software developer and attempt to substantiate their current and eventually future attitude out of hand. They consider software copyright laws to be inapplicable and unrealistic and fail to argue against intellectual property rights for mere digital products, such as software.     

It won’t happen to me: An assessment of optimism bias in music piracy

Piracy continues to be a threat to the global economy. Previous literature on factors influencing individual’s attitude towards piracy indicates that as perceived risk increases, individuals attitude of acceptance of piracy should decrease. In spite of the increased risks, some people pirate, there has been no explanation for this apparent paradox. We attempt to explain this paradox by using the concept of optimism bias. Results of structural equation modeling using a sample of 219 college students provide evidence that individuals having an optimism bias engage in piracy because they consider themselves to be at lower risk than average compared to a group. Implications for practice and future research avenues are discussed.     

Learning science via animated movies: Its effect on students’ thinking and motivation

Some researchers claim that animations may hinder students’ meaningful learning or evoke misunderstandings. In order to examine these assertions, our study investigated the effect of animated movies on students’ learning outcomes and motivation to learn. Applying the quantitative methodology, two pre- and post-questionnaires were administered: Science thinking skills and Motivation to learn science. Students’ overall achievement in science was examined by their report card scores. The research population (N = 1335) was divided into experimental (N = 926) and control (N = 409) groups from 11 elementary schools. Findings indicated that the use of animated movies promoted students’ explanation ability and their understanding of scientific concepts. Findings also indicated that students who studied science with the use of animated movies developed higher motivation to learn science, in terms of: self-efficacy, interest and enjoyment, connection to daily life, and importance to their future, compared to the control students. Following the definition of multimedia, the students who study with the use of animated movies, applied all three learning styles: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. The use of multimedia and the fact that the students were engaged in exploring new concepts, that were relevant to their daily life experiences, can explain the positive results.     

Organizational software piracy: an empirical assessment

Application of Information Technology (IT) has had a significant impact on all aspects of business. Due to technology, the ease with which software can be pirated is increasing and is leading to increased concern for copyright protection. This paper reviews and discusses software piracy issues from a global perspective and reports the findings of a survey concerning the impact of sectors like government, private and academic in Turkey. Although software piracy has long been attracting the interest of academics, no quantitative research has ever been realized in this field in the country. Elsewhere also, most of the software piracy-related studies are from individuals' perspectives and are limited to students, academics, cost, and attitudes. Very few have reported findings related to IT professionals and organizations. The survey was conducted among IT managers of large-scale organizations from different sectors such as the government, private and academic community. Based on the survey of 162 IT managers, the results indicated that sectors have significant impact on software piracy to some extent.     

Organizational software piracy: an empirical assessment

Application of Information Technology (IT) has had a significant impact on all aspects of business. Due to technology, the ease with which software can be pirated is increasing and is leading to increased concern for copyright protection. This paper reviews and discusses software piracy issues from a global perspective and reports the findings of a survey concerning the impact of sectors like government, private and academic in Turkey. Although software piracy has long been attracting the interest of academics, no quantitative research has ever been realized in this field in the country. Elsewhere also, most of the software piracy-related studies are from individuals' perspectives and are limited to students, academics, cost, and attitudes. Very few have reported findings related to IT professionals and organizations. The survey was conducted among IT managers of large-scale organizations from different sectors such as the government, private and academic community. Based on the survey of 162 IT managers, the results indicated that sectors have significant impact on software piracy to some extent.     

Gender differences in computer attitudes: Does the school matter?

In most western countries, the participation of females in ICT professional careers is not only low but is also still falling [Anderson, N., Lankhear, C., Timms, C., & Courtney, L. (in press). Because it’s boring, irrelevant and I don’t like computers’: Why high school girls avoid professionally-oriented ICT subjects. Computers & Education.]. Policy makers as well as researchers often assume that the interest of girls in computing and ICT-professions could be increased at school. For example, female teachers who are confident ICT-users, are expected to act as positive role models for girls. However, because most of the research on gender and computing has been focussing on the influence of none-school related factors, there is little empirical evidence that schools or teachers are able to influence girls’ attitude toward ICT. Using the data of a Dutch large-scale survey on ICT use in primary education (almost 4000 grade 5 students), this study explores the influence of both none-school related factors and school related factors on students’ computer attitude. Although the between-school variance of girls’ computer attitude is higher than that of boys’ computer attitude, multilevel analyses show that most of the variance in computer attitude is explained by none-school related student factors. Two school related factors turned out to have a small positive effect on the computer attitude of girls: a teacher-centred pedagogical approach and the computer experience of female teachers.     

A reversed context analysis of software piracy issues in Singapore

The level of software piracy and reasons underlying the behavior among students in Singapore was investigated using the reversed context analysis previously used by Moores and Dhillon in a study of Hong Kong. This technique presented the respondents with a set of context statements that describe the buying and using of pirated software in terms of high availability, high cost, and low censure. The contexts were reversed (low availability, low cost, high censure) in order to determine whether targeting one or more of these reasons would lead the respondents to stop the behavior. The same instrument was used here with a sample of 462 students. The results showed general agreement with those of the Hong Kong study, although the level of pirating behavior was lower, with a weaker switch from agreement to disagreement when the context involved cost. A closer examination of the respondents revealed a set of respondents that frequently bought and used pirated software and seemed resistant to any of the reversed scenarios. This suggests that even in culturally similar markets different approaches may be required to combat software piracy.     

Digital movie piracy: A perspective on downloading behavior through social cognitive theory

This study refined and specified a model based on the application (e.g. LaRose & Kim, 2007) of social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) to analyze and compare the behavior and attitudes exhibited by movie downloaders and to compare the number of movies they consume. The model is tested against data obtained from college students and from attendees of a technological lifestyle forum in the Netherlands. After revisions, the model explained nearly 23% of the variance in the number of movies downloaded. The most important factors in this model were the drive to view many different and new movies, the social environment and perceived attitudes toward the behavior, and the degree to which downloading has embedded itself in the daily routine. Because the Dutch government and lobbyists are unclear about the current legislation in the Netherlands, a unique opportunity existed to study the impact of being aware of legislation on the behavior. The results also indicate an unexpected openness among the participants to an alternative film-distribution method in which both the producers and the consumers receive an honest deal. These findings suggest options for relieving the current political and social tensions associated with movie downloading without prosecuting an increasing portion of the population.     

Examining the effects of utilities and involvement on intentions to engage in digital piracy

Reflecting scholars' growing interest in the utilitarian aspects of consumer digital piracy, this research examines two types of utilities associated with obtaining digital files (i.e. the utility of downloading pirated files and of purchasing copyrighted files) as factors driving consumer intentions to download pirated files. Moreover, we extend the findings of previous studies by including film/music involvement as a moderator between those utilities and intentions. The conceptual model was tested on a sample of 943 adult consumers. The results of our study confirm that the utility of purchasing copyrighted files has a negative influence on the intention to download pirated files, while the influence of the utility of downloading copyrighted files is positive. The moderating effect of film/music involvement was only found to be significant for the relationship between the utility of downloading pirated files and intentions. Based on these findings, implications for the affected industries are discussed, as well as future research opportunities.     

Academic self-efficacy and academic procrastination as predictors of problematic internet use in university students

Although computers and the internet, indispensable tools in people’s lives today, facilitate life on the one hand, they have brought new risks with them on the other. Internet dependency, or problematic internet use, has emerged as a new concept of addiction. Parallel to this increasing in society in general, it is also on the rise among university students and is widely believed to have a negative impact on their lives. The aim of this study was to investigate whether academic self-efficacy and academic procrastination can act as predictors of problematic internet use among university students. The study group consisted of 398 students attending education, medicine, architecture and economics programs at the Karadeniz Technical University in Turkey. The Problematic Internet Use Scale, Academic Self-efficacy Scale, Academic Procrastination Scale and a Personal Data Form were used as scaling instruments. Pearson’s correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data collected. The results show a significant negative correlation between academic self-efficacy and problematic internet use, while the relation between problematic internet use and academic procrastination was not statistically significant. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy was determined to be a significant predictor of problematic internet use. The results also show a significant difference in problematic internet use in terms of students’ programs, though levels of problematic internet use did not differ in terms of sex or ownership of a computer. These findings are discussed in the light of the relevant literature and some new directions for further studies are suggested.     

The effect of TV drama piracy: An analysis of digital piracy users,internet buzz,and TV drama viewership

Notwithstanding the biggest victim of digital piracy, we have a limited understanding of how TV drama piracy affects its legal consumption. Unlike movies or music, TV dramas are typically a series of episodes, where pirated past episodes may not necessarily carry a negative impact on the legal consumption of current episodes. The consumption boosted by piracy can promote Internet buzz, which may draw the attention of potential consumers and may result in broader legal consumption afterward. Based on an empirical analysis regarding the relationships among the viewership of 20 TV dramas broadcast in the US, social media activities on Twitter, Google and YouTube search trends, and the number of BitTorrent users who pirated these TV dramas, we show that although the direct effect of media consumption through BitTorrent to TV viewership is negative, the indirect effect that mediates Internet buzz is positive, which dilutes the negative effect of digital piracy. Such positive effects of digital piracy are more substantial for the second half of dramas, less popular dramas, and serial dramas. We discuss the theoretical contributions and managerial implications of our study.     

Digital piracy intention: a comparison of theoretical models

Digital piracy intention research has yielded different sets of piracy intention determinants based on various theoretical models. In this study, we reviewed the digital piracy literature and empirically compared two theoretical models, which are the models most often used: the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the Hunt–Vitell ethical decision model. Data were obtained from university students in South Korea, and structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to examine and compare the two competing theoretical models in terms of explanatory power, overall model fit and paths' significance. The findings of this study revealed that the TPB is a more appropriate model for predicting digital piracy than the Hunt–Vitell ethical decision model.     

Junior high school students’ Internet usage and self-efficacy: A re-examination of the gender gap

This paper investigated the gender differences in junior high school students’ Internet self-efficacy and their use of the Internet. A total of 1080 eighth graders were randomly selected from all junior high school students in Taiwan. The Internet Self-Efficacy Scale (ISES) was developed and used to examine students’ Internet self-efficacy in two dimensions: online exploration (explorative ISE) and online communication (communicative ISE). A survey including the ISES instrument was administered to all the subjects and finally 936 valid questionnaires (from 466 males and 470 females) were returned for data analyses. No significant gender difference was found in students’ total ISE and explorative ISE; however, a significant gender difference was found in students’ communicative ISE. Surprisingly, the girls had significant higher communicative ISE than had the boys. In addition, there was no significant gender difference in students’ Internet using experience and computer ownerships; however, there were significant gender differences in their Internet using purpose and intensity. In spite of the boys showed a significantly higher Internet use intensity than did the girls, the boys were more exploration-oriented Internet users and the girls were more communication-oriented Internet users. And this orientation played a significant role in their Internet self-efficacy. These results suggested that the gender gap may no longer exist in young students’ confidence in using the Internet. However, boys and girls used the Internet for significantly different purposes suggesting that the Internet played different roles for boys and girls in Taiwan. With a large scale examination by using a valid and reliable instrument, this study provided representative results for further related studies.     

Factors associated with distressing electronic harassment and cyberbullying

Electronic harassment and cyberbullying can take various forms and involve a range of perpetrators. This study utilised survey results from 1673 New Zealand students aged 12–19 years to explore electronic harassment on the internet and mobile phones and the distress associated with it. Overall, a third of participants reported electronic harassment in the prior year, with half (53.7%) rating it as distressing. Specific hypotheses and findings were that: mobile phone harassment would be more common and distressing than internet harassment, this was supported with 7% more participants reporting mobile phone harassment and 5.5% more reporting distress from it compared to internet harassment; females would report more harassment than males, this was supported for mobile phone harassment as females’ odds of harassment was approximately twice that of males (however the hypothesis did not hold for internet harassment); females would report more distress from harassment, this was supported for both internet and mobile phone harassment, with females’ odds of distress approximately twice as high as males; that some forms and perpetrators would be associated with more distress than others, again this was supported with the most distressing form of mobile phone harassment being direct verbal aggression and for harassment on the internet being rumour spreading. The study also found a preponderance of harassment from school peers. As predicted there were multiple interactions between the harassment forms and perpetrators and gender. These results highlight important differences in how harassment is delivered and experienced across the mobile phone and internet modalities. The findings point to the need to explicitly consider mobile phone harassment, as well as better ways to tailor interventions to address distressing harassment. Schools are well placed to address electronic harassment alongside other bullying interventions.     

Providing remote accessible field trips (RAFT): an evaluation study

RAFT (Remote Accessible Field Trips) provides the possibility for students to participate in field trips from remote locations. This paper reports on two studies to test the RAFT concept. The first study used video-mediated communication (VMC) to allow students to communicate with experts. The second study tested students’ experiences of using off-the-shelf technologies to transfer data while assigned with specific roles. Participants were school students aged 11–18 years. The findings showed RAFT resulted in high levels of interest and was both positive and engaging for students. An increase in student interest in topic (p < 0.05) was reported in the second study. It is argued that these aspects of RAFT are of benefit to students and further developments are discussed.     

Internet differential pricing: Effects on consumer price perception,emotions, and behavioral responses

Differential pricing is a strategy that retailers have used effectively in capturing sales and profits. The advent of the Internet is a new domain where this strategy can be applied conveniently and economically. This study examines the effects of various Internet differential pricing tactics (buyer identification, purchase quantity, purchase timing, and multi-channels) on consumers’ cognitive (i.e., perceptions of price fairness), emotional, and behavioral responses. A survey on 367 marketing students in Taiwan was carried out. Empirical findings show that perceived fairness is significantly related to emotions, and while emotions similarly affect behavioral responses, it also mediates the relationship between perceptions of price fairness and behavioral responses. Practical implications and future studies for internet pricing strategies are further discussed.     

An integrated science course designed with information communication technologies to enhance university students’ learning performance

This study evaluated the performance of university students who learned science texts by using, information communication technologies (ICT) including animation, static figures, power point, and e-plus software. The characteristics of students and their achievements and attitudes toward 11 multimedia science courses were analyzed. The 11 samples in this study included 676 undergraduate students who took science courses during the 2005 academic year. The results included the computation of the F-ratio, p-values, and Cohen’s effect-sizes of attitudes toward science and learning science in relation to the student’s gender, attendance of computer orientation classes, use of computer-multimedia, disposition toward computers, and majors. Our study describes some helpful approaches to the incorporation of computer-based multimedia teaching utilizing constructivist design principles to facilitate the student’s understanding and attitude toward science learning.