Do Moral Beliefs Condition the Impact of Low Self-control on Digital Piracy?

ABSTRACT

Morality and low self-control can both play critical roles in rule-breaking behaviors. Yet, our understanding of the interplay between morality and low self-control offers only a limited explanation of digital piracy. Using data from a sample of 1,091 South Korean students, we confirm that both morality and low self-control are important predictors of digital piracy. In addition, the current study reveals that morality conditions the relationship between low self-control and digital piracy. The results show that morality enhances the effects of low self-control on digital piracy. Overall, they thus confirm the importance of morality and low self-control as factors in digital piracy, which warrants continued research efforts to understand the interaction between morality and low self-control with respect to this type of rule-breaking behaviors.

Notes

¹ On a side note, it deserves mentioning that morality has long been of interest to researchers in psychology. Psychologists contend that moral identity can be regarded as the cognitive schema an individual holds about his/her moral characteristics (Aquino et al. 2009). Evidence shows that individuals with a strong moral identity are motivated to avoid engaging in antisocial or criminal behaviors to maintain their sense of identity (e.g., Hardy and Carlo 2011; Hardy et al. 2014; Kavussanu, Stanger, and Ring 2015). Some researchers contend that individuals who view that their morality is central and salient to their identity are less likely to engage in antisocial behaviors because they feel the sense of responsibility to act consistently with their moral beliefs and values (Hardy and Carlo 2011). In sum, a growing empirical literature illuminates the role of moral factors in individuals’ behavioral patterns, suggesting that morality should be the subject of research on deviant behavior to expand our knowledge base in understanding rule-breaking decisions.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by research funds from Chosun University, 2017.

Notes on contributors

Jaeyong Choi

Jaeyong Choi, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Security Studies and Criminal Justice at Angelo State University. His research interests include criminological theory, police legitimacy, media and criminal justice, and fear of crime.

Ilhong Yun, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Police Administration at Chosun University. His research interests lie in the area of biosocial criminology, comparative criminal justice, and policing.