Moral identity and the ethics of digital piracy

A self-regulatory model of contextual reasoning and religious norms

Dados Bibliográficos

ID8246124
AutoresAykut Arslan (0000-0001-5689-3918), Serdar Yener (0000-0003-1413-7422), Abdulkadir Akturan (0009-0008-9107-0333)
Ano2026
Volume24
Fascículo1
Páginas145-174
Data de publicação2026-02-18
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Information Communication and Ethics in Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1758-8871 • E-ISSN: 1477-996X
EditoraEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/jices-05-2025-0097
OpenAlexW7084610896
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas37

Purpose This study aims to discuss the joint influence of moral identity, religiosity and situational ethics on digital piracy intentions. It proposes a self-regulatory model whereby moral identity sets up the main motivational structure in guiding moral behaviour, supported by two further dimensions: firstly, religiosity inputting culturally based normative content into the structure; secondly, situational ethics, representing the individual’s context-dependent reasoning about morality. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional inquiry has been taken up with 1,020 Turkish university students as a sample. Validated scales measured the dimensions of situational ethics (relativism), religiosity, moral identity and digital piracy intentions. It is proposed to test the hypothesis through moderated mediation analysis whereby moral identity would act as a moderator and religiosity would be a mediator in the relationship of situational ethics with piracy intentions. Findings The results show that situational ethics does not directly predict piracy intentions. However, religiosity significantly mediates this relationship, and this mediation effect is conditional upon the level of moral identity. Specifically, the more central morality is to one’s identity, the more likely religious norms translate into reduced piracy intentions, even when situational justifications are present. Originality/value The study offers a novel hierarchical framework for understanding digital piracy as a morally negotiated act, not simply a legal transgression. By centring moral identity as a self-regulatory mechanism, it advances the literature on digital ethics and moral psychology and offers implications for educational interventions, religious messaging and digital platform policy design

Identity (music · Mediation · Moderation · Moral disengagement · Moral reasoning · Morality · Religiosity · Situational ethics · Social cognitive theory of morality · Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms · Malaria Research and Control · Vector-borne infectious diseases