Measuring online moral reasoning: the development and psychometric properties of the cyberethics scale

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston UniversityThis dissertation developed a valid and reliable instrument that measures online moral reasoning. This instrument is referred to as the Cyberethics Scale (CES). The dissertation examines theoretical basis of CES and describes the process of developing the CES. Cognitive-developmental theories of moral judgment generally explain diverse ways that individuals advance their moral judgment. The study adapted concepts of several theories-particularly those ofKolhberg (1984) and Gibbs, Basinger, and Fuller (1992)-and applied them to identify states of moral reasoning specifically in an online environment. Evidence to confirm the validity and reliability ofthe CES during this process derived from a pilot study, understandability study, expert review panel, and statistical analysis. The psychometric properties were assessed with data from 243 participants recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk) website. The CES is a short answer survey that can be group-administrable as a paper-pencil format and online format and requires an average of 10 minutes to complete 10-item survey. The scoring is self-trained. An estimated time to complete scoring a protocol is 20 minutes, which is equivalent to the SRM-SF scoring time. The psychometric properties of the CES are acceptable (r = .604, n = 243). This reliability measure is comparable to the Chronbach Alpha of the Sociomoral Reflection Measure-Short Form when assessed with adult sample (r = .5762, n=48)

Towards A Professional Information Systems Ethic (Cyberethics)

Information Systems technology promises to transform our world. The pertinent ethical question is whether that transformation will be for good or for ill. Who will make the decisions, and upon what basis? Who will benefit? Who will be harmed? As computers and the software programs they run become more pervasive in modern life, there is a growing apprehension of the potential harm they can cause and an awareness that, in America, the professionals and semi-professionals whose programs influence our lives are a non-regulated, non-certified group, in large measure not bound by any code of conduct beyond their own conscience. Hence there are moves afoot in the United States and Canada (Gotterbarn, Kerr) to legislate formal licensing and certification for InformationSystems (IS) professionals. Unless national and international professional associations are able to police their own members, society at large may seize the reins. For professional, political, philosophical, and economic reasons, it is preferable to institute measures of self-governance. This paper surveys an eclectic literature in order to provide a framework for future research developing a system of professional ethical training and a self-governance system

Cyber ethics of blockchain, AI and worldcoin

This paper discusses the evolution of cyber ethics steered by blockchain technology (BT), artificial intelligence (AI), and, perhaps, Worldcoin, which is an ambitious global project to build a decentralized "proof-of-personhood" encrypted in an anonymous "World ID" for each human being. To investigate the digital conundrum and evaluate the ethical implications of BT, Explainable AI (XAI), and Worldcoin, the "Cyberethics-Mix" framework will be a compass oriented to four cardinal points of ethics in cyberspace: Privacy (data protection), Property (data ownership), Precision (data accuracy), and Pervasiveness (data access). The paper's main conclusion is the ethical desirability of an inclusive and decentralized policy in cyberspace.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cyberethics of E-Business social networking

The digital technologies open a virtual world where making successful business over the Internet and especially on social networks imply unusual ethical dilemmas. This chapter will seek to handle this problem, characteristic of the information age, highlighting ethical challenges surrounding the participation in a new electronic dimension which quickly became ubiquitous. In the same line of the marketing model entitled “Marketing-mix”, a new mnemonical model is presented. This model will be designated as “Cyberethics -mix”, and is composed by four elements, all of them having the initial letter "P". These elements represent the following ethical issues that should be carefully taken into account when practicing business on the Internet: 1. Property of intellectual rights over digitized contents; 2. Precision of the content and data made available on the www; 3. Possibility to access the on-line information flow; 4. Privacy of personal data on Internet networking.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Awareness and knowledge of cyberethics: A study of pre-service teachers in Malta, Norway, and Spain

This paper explores the awareness and knowledge of cyberethics held by pre-service teachers across three European countries. The study was conducted via an online survey and yielded 1,131 responses from pre-service teachers in Malta, Norway, and Spain. The facets of cyberethics included in this study focused on behaving responsibly online, safeguarding privacy, respecting copyright, seeking consent of friends before posting images or videos on social media platforms, and considering their professional identity as future teachers when posting online. The findings indicate that pre-service teachers reported relatively similar levels of competence in applying copyright and respecting privacy rules with pre-service teachers in Malta and Norway reporting higher degrees of knowledge and awareness than their counterparts in Spain. Malta had the most participants who reported that they always considered the potential impact that posting media online may have on their professional teaching career, followed by Norway. Spain had the largest number of pre-service teachers who stated that they rarely or never thought about this impact on their teaching career. This indicates a lack of awareness of behaving in an exemplary manner online in a more public and professional capacity. Our findings highlight the need for pre-service teachers' knowledge of cyberethics to be prioritised during Initial Teacher Education (ITE), especially at such a time when their professional identity is being shaped. A clear tension was noted between the perceived knowledge or competence and the declared practices of some pre-service teachers concerning the cyberethics items featured in the study. In light of our findings, we recommend that all ITE programmes include digital competence and cyberethics components in their curricula. This would enable pre-service teachers to develop an emerging professional and digital identity to face the challenges of becoming teachers in the 21st century

Preservice Teachers: What do They Know about Cyberlaw?

This paper presents preliminary findings from an exploratory multimethod study into preservice teachers’ perspectives on legal and ethical issues relevant to the use of ICT in schools. It identifies requirements for legal literacy that support legally compliant behaviour as well as the development of active citizenship in students and highlights areas of factual legal knowledge which may require more attention in preservice education

Addressing Ethics And Technology In Business: Preparing Today's Students For The Ethical Challenges Presented By Technology In The Workplace

The ethical development of information systems is but one of those sensitive scenarios associated with computer technology that has a tremendous impact on individuals and social life.  The significance of these issues of concern cannot be overstated.  However, since computer ethics is meant to be everybody’s responsibility, the result can often be interpreted as nobody’s responsibility.  Therefore, an effective while still practical moral framework needs to be recognized in order to put computer ethics on a sound foundation for further exploration

Ethical Reflections on Cyberstalking

This essay examines some ethical aspects of stalking behavior in cyberspace. We have argued elsewhere that recent online stalking incidents raise a wide range of ethical concerns, including issues affecting gender (Grodzinsky and Tavani, 2001), personal privacy (Tavani and Grodzinsky, 2002), and physical vs. virtual harm (Grodzinsky and Tavani, 2002). The primary axis of discussion in this essay has to do with implications that cyberstalking has for our notion of moral responsibility, both at the collective (or group) and individual levels. For example, do collectivities and organizations such as Internet service providers (ISPs) have any moral obligations to cyberstalking victims, which go beyond legal obligations covered in strict liability law? And do ordinary Internet users have a moral obligation to inform (and possibly also to assist) persons whom they discover to be the targets of online stalkers? In our analysis of these questions, particular attention is paid to a cyberstalking incident involving Amy Boyer