Privacy and the internet : differences in perspectives

This study examined results of a World Wide Web survey that used the framework of domain theory of moral development to examine attitudes of Internet users assuming perspectives of victims, aggressors and bystanders toward privacy issues. The effect of a monetary incentive was tested on two perspectives; effects of three moderating variables, employment status, newsgroup/mailing list membership and culture, were also tested. In the process of examing interactions, an evaluation determined if changes in attitudes indicated movement along a morality continuum. Results show that victims are more concerned than aggressors, and bystanders take a moralizing stance regardless of domain. Results of the monetary incentive test suggest that privacy is for sale. Employed respondents are more concerned than non-employed respondents; membership has little effect. Effects of culture do not support the hypotheses. Implications are that moral judgements are a function of perspective and domain, allowing flexibility along a morality continuum due to situational deviations.

Authors

• Janz, Linda
• University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science

• Internet -- Security measures
• Internet
• Privacy, Right of
• Dissertations, Academic

Identifier

hdl:10133/64

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:opus.uleth.ca:10133/64