Influence of gender, program of study and PC experience on unethical computer using behaviors of Turkish undergraduate students

Abstract

This study administered the unethical computer using behavior scale (UECUBS) developed by [Namlu, A.G., & Odabasi, F. (2007). Unethical computer using behavior scale: A study of reliability and validity on Turkish university students. Computers and Education, 48, 205-215.] to investigate whether gender, program of study and PC experience have an impact on ethical judgments of undergraduate students regarding information and communication technologies (ICTs). The sample consisted of 559 undergraduates from the Education Faculty of the most populated state university in Turkey. The results of 5 (program of study) x 2 (gender) x 2 (PC experience) between-groups analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant differences among different programs of study and between high and low experienced PC users. The analysis showed significant differences between males and females. A significant interaction between the program of study and gender was found, which indicated that the difference between males and females did not follow a similar pattern across different programs of study. More specifically, females' ethical judgments were consistent across different fields while males' judgments varied according to the field of study