Predicting and Explaining Cyber Ethics with Ethical Theories

People face multiple decisions that have ethical dimensions and are often unable to resolve appropriately those ethical dilemmas in the use of the cyberspace. Individuals find it difficult to explain the rationale behind their moral judgments in their interactions and access to digital content. Identifying ethical and moral orientation that prompts acceptable or unacceptable ethical judgments is an important factor in cyber ethics. The goal of this study is to employ three prominent ethical theories to predict and explain cyber ethical judgements in terms of computer ethics, privacy, intellectual property rights, and academic integrity. The study develops conceptual and predictive models to test a set of hypotheses. The results show consequential ethics as the most significant predictor of computer ethics, cyber privacy, and academic integrity. Deontological ethics most significantly predict intellectual property rights but is not a significant predictor of academic integrity.