TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring Reactions to Hacktivism Among STEM College Students
T2 - A Preliminary Model of Hacktivism Support and Resistance
AU - PytlikZillig, Lisa M.
AU - Wang, Shiyuan
AU - Soh, Leen Kiat
AU - Tomkins, Alan J.
AU - Samal, Ashok
AU - Bernadt, Tonya K.
AU - Hayes, Michael J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014, © The Author(s) 2014.
PY - 2015/8/14
Y1 - 2015/8/14
N2 - This study investigated the predictors of support for and resistance to hacktivism in a sample of 78 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors at a Midwestern university. Results from surveys about real-world instances of hacktivism indicate different preexisting global attitudes predict specific situational hacktivism support (predicted by admiration) versus resistance (predicted by willingness to report). Also, participants gave greater weight to their perceptions of hacktivist (rather than target) trustworthiness/untrustworthiness. Comparisons among different facets of trustworthiness suggest perceptions of shared values with and integrity of the hacktivists are especially important for predicting support and resistance. Participants also were more supportive of hacktivism rated as having higher utilitarian value but not less supportive of hacktivism initiated for retribution. Mediation analyses indicated that situation perceptions significantly mediated the effects of global attitudes on hacktivism support/resistance, but that the significance of specific mediators was inconsistent across analyses. This suggests that the importance of mediators may depend on specific context.
AB - This study investigated the predictors of support for and resistance to hacktivism in a sample of 78 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors at a Midwestern university. Results from surveys about real-world instances of hacktivism indicate different preexisting global attitudes predict specific situational hacktivism support (predicted by admiration) versus resistance (predicted by willingness to report). Also, participants gave greater weight to their perceptions of hacktivist (rather than target) trustworthiness/untrustworthiness. Comparisons among different facets of trustworthiness suggest perceptions of shared values with and integrity of the hacktivists are especially important for predicting support and resistance. Participants also were more supportive of hacktivism rated as having higher utilitarian value but not less supportive of hacktivism initiated for retribution. Mediation analyses indicated that situation perceptions significantly mediated the effects of global attitudes on hacktivism support/resistance, but that the significance of specific mediators was inconsistent across analyses. This suggests that the importance of mediators may depend on specific context.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84936938949&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1177/0894439314546815
DO - 10.1177/0894439314546815
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84936938949
SN - 0894-4393
VL - 33
SP - 479
EP - 497
JO - Social Science Computer Review
JF - Social Science Computer Review
IS - 4
ER -