Akbulut and Donmez (2018)
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Source Details
Akbulut and Donmez (2018) | |
Title: | Predictors of digital piracy among Turkish undergraduate students |
Author(s): | Akbulut, Y., Donmez, O. |
Year: | 2018 |
Citation: | Akbulut, Y. and Donmez, O. (2018) Predictors of digital piracy among Turkish undergraduate students. Telematics and Informatics, Volume 35, Issue 5, pp1324-1334 |
Link(s): | Definitive |
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About the Data | |
Data Description: | The research is split into two studies:
Study 1 involved an analysis of survey responses by 465 undergraduate students from Turkish universities. Survey responses were based on scale measurements, akin to a Likert scale. Study 2 involved an analysis of survey responses from 190 undergraduate students from Turkish universities. Measurements were similar to study 1, with the addition of 12 new items to factor in new social desirability measures. |
Data Type: | Primary data |
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Cross Country Study?: | No |
Comparative Study?: | No |
Literature review?: | No |
Government or policy study?: | No |
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Abstract
“Unauthorized downloading or duplication of copyrighted software has been a serious financial and ethical concern. Thus, the current research addressed predictors of digital piracy across two Turkish undergraduate samples. In Study 1, two structural models were tested with 465 students. Latent variables of interest were measured through 21 indicators to address past piracy, present piracy, prosecution risk and piracy attitudes. Followed by the confirmation of the factor structure, two structural models were retained. In the first model, perceived likelihood of prosecution decreased piracy through full mediation of attitudes, whereas past piracy decreased it through partial mediation of attitudes. In the second model, both variables explained current piracy through full mediation of attitudes. In Study 2, 12 social desirability items were added to current measures and tested with a new group (n = 190). The measurement model was confirmed. While prosecution risk and social desirability was related, their contribution to current piracy behaviors was not significant. The links between past and present piracy and attitudes were still strong.”
Main Results of the Study
The research finds that there is a weak correlation between social desirability, prosecution risk, and perceptions of infringement. Instead, there is a positive relationship across past infringing behaviours, current infringing behaviours, and perceptions of infringement. Convenience, as inferred from regularity of PC use and competency, was not correlated with infringing behaviour.Infringement may be perceived as an acceptable social norm within the undergraduate community, which in turn forms habitual behaviour and thus predicts current infringement. In turn, this behaviour constructs perceptions and attitudes about infringement as either acceptable or unacceptable. The authors imply that past behaviours may therefore have the capacity to determine future behaviours in regards to infringement. Fear of prosecution, or “peer pressure” to be socially acceptable, are ineffective in reducing infringement.
Policy Implications as Stated By Author
The authors suggest that stronger enforcement measures or sanctions are unlikely to be effective in preventing infringement (as risk of prosecution is not a consistent determinant in predicting infringing behaviour). Instead, policymakers should focus on raising awareness of the unacceptability of infringing behaviours, particularly as the study indicates that students may perceive such behaviours as a non-problematic social norm.
Coverage of Study
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