THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR AND PSYCHOGRAPHICS IN DIGITAL PIRACY

The aim of this research is to develop a comprehensive model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), consumer decision-making styles, and the Big Five personality model, and to test it by focusing on digital piracy. As an activity that has become a global issue in modern society and a significant threat to the global economy, due to financial losses measured in billions of US dollars, the concept of digital piracy has received notable attention both from scholars and practitioners. Digital piracy refers to the illegal downloading, using, copying, sharing, and selling of copyrighted digital content (e.g., software, music, movies, games, books, etc.). However, numerous research studies have shown that consumers do not perceive piracy as an illegal act. This notion has led researchers to further investigate and understand this type of consumer behavior, especially factors affecting digital piracy and consumers' behavioral intention regarding this activity. Previous research studies on the behavioral perspective of digital piracy have shown that by applying the TPB, it is possible to predict and explain why consumers engage in this specific type of behavior. Therefore, our model is also based on the TPB, however, it is also extended by two additional psychographic concepts, i.e., the consumer decision-making styles and the Big Five personality model. Since those individual characteristics of consumers affect their overall consumer behavior, it can be expected that they will affect their digital product pirating behavior as well. Since digital piracy has especially been found to occur among young consumers, empirical quantitative research has been conducted on a convenient sample of the student population who voluntarily agreed to participate. In order to test the proposed conceptual model, we used an online survey approach since this type of research method has ensured the full anonymity of the respondents. This is especially important in the case when social desirability bias could occur by respondents while conducting the research. By applying an online survey approach, this type of bias can be avoided or at least minimized. Data were collected by using a highly-structured questionnaire consisting of measurement scales (TPB, Consumer Style Inventory, Big Five Inventory), borrowed from the relevant scientific literature and adapted to the digital piracy context of research. This paper will contribute to the literature by examining the applicability of the theory of planned behavior, consumer decision-making styles, and the Big Five personality model, focusing on the behavioral perspective of digital piracy and broadening the existing body of knowledge.