Psychometrics of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument among virtual students of medical sciences universities, Iran

Psychometrics of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument among virtual students of medical sciences universities, Iran | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Psychometrics of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument among virtual students of medical sciences universities, Iran Sonia Oveisi, Noushin Kohan, Mahbubeh Tabatabaeichehr, Soleiman Ahmady This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4450553/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Introduction This study extended previous psychometric evaluations of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument (PCEI) by determining the factor structure, and internal consistency and providing convergent and discriminant evidence for its validity. Method In this descriptive study, we evaluated the psychometrics of the PCEI among virtual students of medical sciences universities in Iran from 2021 to 2023. Participants were 163 undergraduate students from two consecutive semesters in the same academic year. They ranged in age from 17 to 24 (M = 18.7, S.D. = 1.0) and 50.3% were women. The CEI tool which was developed by Winfred Yaokumah was used. Results A seven-factor solution emerged (32 items), invariant across gender and semester. These items were combined to create a PCEI with an overall reliability equal to 0.944. Results showed comparative fit index (CFI = .711), normed fit index (NFI = .635), TLI = .681, and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA = .118). The 25 items that loaded on the model were Composite Reliability (CR) from 0.7315 to 0.8998 and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) from 0.4375 to 0.7142. Conclusion The results established the viability of PCEI for measuring cyber ethics in Iranian students. It deals with ethical issues and considerations concerning technology and online interactions, encompassing a wide range of topics such as Academic Integrity, Netiquette, Cyber Safety, Computer Ethics, Cyber Privacy, Cyber Security, and Cyber Protection to create a safe, inclusive, and ethical online environment. Cyber Ethics Instrument virtual students psychometric index Persian Iran Figures Figure 1 Introduction In today's interconnected world, cyberspace plays a central role in our personal, professional, and social lives. With this increased reliance on technology, the concept of cyber ethics has emerged as a crucial framework for individuals, organizations, and governments to navigate the digital domain responsibly. Cyber ethics encompasses a range of moral, legal, and societal considerations, aiming to safeguard online interactions, protect privacy, uphold intellectual property rights, and promote equitable access to information. The cyberspace, in the process of exchanging knowledge and information, is becoming more and more known every day, so that the amount of information on the Internet doubles every two months and the number of users doubles every year [ 1 ]. To the extent that the use of the Internet increases in various aspects of life, we will also witness the emergence of ethical problems related to cyber spaces, and despite the many advantages of these technologies in the cyber space, there are threats especially in line with the issue of observing ethics in the cyber space. As information security issues have been one of the most important concerns of cyberspace users, researchers have sought to explain acceptable solutions to improve data security for all users, including military, educational, and patient medical records. [ 2 , 3 ]. Understanding Cyber Ethics, and Ethical Issues in Cyberspace [ 4 , 5 ] involve a complex web of concerns, including Privacy and Data Protection [ 6 ], Intellectual Property Rights [ 7 ], Cybercrime and Cybersecurity [ 8 ], Digital Divide and Equitable Access [ 9 ], Cyberbullying and Online Harassment [ 10 ], and Ethics in AI and Big Data [ 11 ]. The cited references offer an extensive pool of knowledge, theories, and perspectives that delve into the multifaceted nature of cyber ethics. By considering these sources, researchers and practitioners can deepen their understanding and foster responsible ethical behavior in the digital age. Fundamentally changing the way Internet security threats are communicated to users is more effective than working on the mental models that users might impose on those communications [ 12 ]. For example, the security system can give a direct warning to the user, but redirect them to a known secure site. Such a default "opt-in" system may quietly inform users of the reason they are being redirected and give them an opportunity to change the safety decision made on their behalf. This can not only improve safe online behavior, but also encourage the perception of security warnings as more effective protection for users (for example, perceptions of reliability and validity). [ 13 ] In many ways, responsible behavior on the Internet is consistent with all correct behavior in everyday life, but sometimes the reality is not like this, and some people try to act secretly on the Internet and think that they can remain anonymous. They show themselves. Although this is not always the case, many internet browsers can detect their traces and be used to detect illegal or inappropriate behavior[ 14 ]. As technology continues to advance, the importance of cyberspace and cyber ethics becomes increasingly evident. The cited references provided here offer a wealth of knowledge, perspectives, and research into the multifaceted field of cyber ethics. By staying informed and adhering to ethical principles in the digital realm, individuals, organizations, and governments can ensure a secure, just, and inclusive online environment for everyone. Although ethics is a branch of philosophy and with the concept of values related to human behavior, according to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and motives, and moral principles govern the behavior or performance of an individual's activity, but with age, Cultural group, ethnic background, religion, life experiences and education can have different interpretations [ 15 ]. Therefore, it is necessary that normative ethics, in other words, the standards of correctness and incorrectness of ethical measurement tools in cyberspace, should be examined separately in different local cultures and traditions in terms of confidentiality and privacy, data security and cyber security[ 16 ]. Due to the lack of a valid and reliable tool to evaluate the level of compliance with ethical issues in the cyber space in the universities of medical sciences in Iran, the purpose of this study is to investigate the psychometrics of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument (PCEI) in the virtual students of the universities of medical sciences in the country. This tool has 6 dimensions of Cyber Privacy, Computer Ethics, Academic Integrity, Cyber Safety, Intellectual Property and Netiquette. This instrument in was designed by Winfred Yaokumah in 2020 and was psychometrically tested on 503 students. Its factor analysis structure was determined with the six domains with a total variance of 67.7% [ 17 ] and its reliability Confirmed with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.989. This tool has 32 items that examine the above indicators. Methods In this descriptive study, the psychometric properties, including the validity and reliability of the questionnaire among virtual students of medical sciences universities were examined. Permission to use the tool was first obtained by correspondence with the main researcher. The instrument was translated into Persian and translated again by two professors who were fluent in English. Face validity and content validity were done by students and faculties respectively. Participants were 163 undergraduate students from two consecutive semesters in the same academic year. They ranged in age from 17 to 24 (M = 18.7, S.D. = 1.0). The Personal Information Questionnaire assessed demographic variables. Participants convened in small groups and provided written consent before filling out the questionnaire packet. The assessment sessions lasted approximately 20 min. Cronbach's alpha coefficient is estimated in order to determining the reliability of the tool of adherence to ethical principles in cyber space. The suitable internal consistency was considered more than 0.7. Then, the dataset underwent Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to scrutinize the questionnaire's factorial validity. The principal component method, with an eigenvalue threshold of 1.0 for factor acceptance, was employed for covariance structure analysis. A factor loading value of 0.5 served as the criterion for item retention. The extracted factors were rotated using Varimax rotation [ 18 ]. The item reliability within each factor was assessed via Cronbach's α. Lastly, the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to evaluate the model's fit to the data, utilizing path analysis. Various fit indices, such as the goodness-of-fit index (GFI > 0.90), adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI > 0.90), normed fit index (NFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), comparative fit index (CFI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA < 0.06) [ 19 ], were employed to gauge the model's goodness-of-fit. Post-fitness assessment, composite reliability (CR) for convergent validity and average variance extracted (AVE) for discriminant validity were evaluated. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 24 for EFA and Cronbach's alpha computation, while AMOS version 26 software was employed for CFA. Results This study was conducted to investigate the psychometric indicators of the tool for evaluating adherence to ethical principles in cyberspace, on 163 students studying at the Virtual University of Medical Sciences. The analysis of data was performed in three steps: 1- Cronbach's alpha Reliability, 2- Exploratory Factor Analysis, and 3- confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed: Participants were 81(49.7%) male and 152 (93.3) single. All students lived in the city area and the majority of them (90%) were medical students. 1- Cronbach's alpha Reliability: Calculating the tool's reliability index was based on Cronbach's alpha. Overall reliability is equal to 0.944. It has also been calculated separately for each index as shown in the Table 1 . Table 1 Cronbach's alpha Reliability of Items. Factors N of Items Cronbach's Alpha Computer Ethics 9 0.79 Academic Integrity 8 0.9 Cyber Privacy 4 0.78 Cyber Safety 5 0.88 Intellectual Property Right 3 0.78 Netiquette 3 0.87 2. Exploratory factor analysis: In this research, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to examine the psychometric properties of a scale and to determine its underlying factor structure. A sample of 163 respondents answered 32 cyber ethics-related items. Before conducting the EFA, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett's test of sphericity were applied to assess the factorability of the data. The KMO measure of sampling adequacy was 0.883, which surpassed the recommended value of 0.60 [ 20 ], suggesting that the data were suitable for principal components analysis. Additionally, Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (Bartlett's Test = 3732.227, df = 496, P < 0.001), indicating that there was sufficient correlation between the variables, allowing for further analysis [ 18 ]. The EFA was then conducted using maximum likelihood method and varimax rotation to extract the factor structure of the instrument and assess construct validity. Factors were determined based on a scree-plot, cumulative variance explained, interpretability, and Kaiser's criterion. Employing the Kaiser-Guttman retention criterion of eigenvalues greater than 1.0 [ 20 ], seven factors were extracted, accounting for 70.21% of the total variance. Each of the 32 items had factor loadings ranging from 0.47 to 0.80 (see Table 2 ). Finally, the seven factors were named based on the recommendations provided by researchers. Calculation of Rotated Component Matrix index with Varimax with Kaiser Normalization Rotation Method: A criterion greater than 0.5 is considered for Loading. Eigenvalues for the first seven extracted factors were 12.764, 2.613, 2.207, 1.512, 1.204, 1.144, and 1.022. The seven rationally derived factors did not emerge in any of the solutions considered. Items of Factors are different from original version: Factor 1 Academic Integrity (4 items) and of Intellectual Property Right (2 items) accounted for 17.22% of the variance. Factor 2 Netiquette (3 items), Cyber Safety (2 items), Intellectual Property Right (1 item), and Cyber Privacy (1 item) accounted for 13.76% of the variance. Factor 3 Cyber Safety (3 items) and Cyber Privacy (2 items) accounted for 11.22% of the variance. Factor 4 Computer Ethics (3 items) and Academic Integrity (1 item) accounted for 8.40% of the variance. Factor 5 Computer Ethics (3 items) and Cyber Privacy (1 item) accounted for 7.5% of the variance. Factor 6 Computer Ethics (1 item) and Academic Integrity (1 item) accounted for 6.22% of the variance. Factor 7 Computer Ethics (2 items) accounted for 5.88% of the variance. Therefore, we named factor 1 to 7 in terms of its concept to: 1. Academic Integrity (8 items), 2. Netiquette (7 items), 3. Cyber Safety (5 items), 4. Computer Ethics (4 items), 5. Cyber Privacy (4 items), 6. Cyber Security (2 items), and 7. Cyber Protection (2 items). Table 2 Factor loadings results from exploratory factor analysis. New Factors Original Factors Questions Rotated Component Matrix 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Academic Integrity Academic Integrity It is unethical to use computing devices to cheat in an examination. 0.78 Academic Integrity It is unethical to take credit for someone else’s work. 0.72 Intellectual Property Right It is unethical to buy software over the Internet with a single user license and then install it on multiple computers. 0.70 0.37 Academic Integrity It is unethical to purchase or submit a research or term paper from the Internet to a class as one’s own work. 0.69 Academic Integrity It is unethical to hire someone over the Internet to write an assignment for me. 0.68 0.37 Academic Integrity It is unethical to add the name of a non-contributing person as an author in a project or research paper for publication. 0.66 Academic Integrity It is unethical to use materials found on the Internet without acknowledging the work. 0.59 0.33 Intellectual Property Right It is unethical to download or distribute copyrighted materials (e.g. software, e-books, video, and audio) or trade secrets to other people over the Internet. 0.56 0.30 0.4 Netiquette Cyber Safety I shall not use the computer to damage others properties 0.80 0.34 Netiquette I shall not use the computer to tarnish the reputation of others. 0.78 Netiquette I shall not make hate-speech or derogatory comments to defame others over the Internet. 0.75 Netiquette I shall not use the computer to bear false witness. 0.33 0.68 Cyber Safety I shall not use the computer to damage others’ reputation 0.33 0.63 0.51 Intellectual Property Right It is unethical to obtain, disclose or allow others to use trade secrets obtained by stealing from the Internet. 0.51 0.55 0.33 Cyber Privacy I shall not read someone else’s private message (such as email or WhatsApp) without permission 0.53 0.45 0.46 Cyber Safety Cyber Safety I shall not use the computer to destroy critical infrastructure such as transport systems, hospitals, water, and electricity 0.37 0.79 Cyber Safety I shall not use a computer to harm other people. 0.74 Cyber Safety I shall not use a computer to endanger the safety, health, or the environment. 0.72 Cyber Privacy I shall not violate the privacy and confidentiality of information entrusted to me for personal interest. 0.54 0.41 Cyber Privacy I shall not obtain another person’s private files by means of the Internet. 0.47 0.33 0.47 Computer Ethics Computer Ethics I shall not disrupt the intended use of the Internet. 0.38 0.72 Computer Ethics I shall not hack into or take computer systems for ransom 0.71 Academic Integrity It is unethical to obtain from the Internet work done by others and submit as one’s own. 0.52 0.53 Computer Ethics I shall not destroy the integrity of computer-based information. 0.35 0.53 0.37 0.39 Cyber Privacy Computer Ethics I shall not purposely seek to gain unauthorized access to Internet resources. 0.74 Cyber Privacy I shall not disclose confidential institutional information to others without authorization. 0.46 0.31 0.56 Computer Ethics I shall not conduct Internet-wide experiments in a negligent manner. 0.34 0.54 0.31 Computer Ethics I shall not use a computer to steal or engage in fraud. 0.33 0.52 0.34 Cyber Security Computer Ethics I shall not use the computer to send files infected with viruses over the Internet 0.75 Academic Integrity It is unethical to deliberately provide inaccurate references for research study. 0.41 0.57 0.31 Cyber Protection Computer Ethics I shall not waste computer resources (waste bandwidth and cause denial of access). 0.42 0.66 Computer Ethics I shall not interfere with other people’s computer work 0.39 0.58 3- Confirmatory factor analysis: Confirmatory factor analysis was undertaken to examine the model fit. Checking the regression coefficient for data loading in the study based on AMOS software (Fig. 1 ). Firstly, we were interested to assess of fit model for 32 questions. Results showed comparative fit index (CFI = .711), normed fit index (NFI = .635), TLI = .681 and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA = .118). Secondly, questions with a coefficient greater than 0.6 have entered in the model. Therefore, questions " q1 = I shall not waste computer resources (waste bandwidth and cause denial of access, q2 = I shall not use a computer to steal or engage in fraud, q3 = I shall not interfere with other people’s computer work, q4 = I shall not hack into or take computer systems for ransom, q9 = I shall not use the computer to send files infected with viruses over the Internet, q18 = I shall not disclose confidential institutional information to others without authorization, and q19 = I shall not violate the privacy and confidentiality of information entrusted to me for personal interest", which were less than 0.6, were excluded from the study. Then, all other model fit indices were acceptable: Root Mean Square Residual (RMR = .035), goodness-of-fit index (GFI = .984), adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI = 0.98), normed fit index (NFI = .98) (Table 3 ). The 25 items that loaded on the model were Composite Reliability (CR) from 0.7315 to 0.8998 and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) from 0.4375 to 0.7142. (Table 3 ) Table 3 Factor Loading, Construct Validity and AVE from CFA Standardized Regression Weights Factors Description Loading AVE CR Computer Ethics q5ethic I shall not disrupt the intended use of the Internet 0.619 0.4375 0.7565 q6ethic I shall not destroy the integrity of computer-based information. 0.668 q7ethic I shall not conduct Internet-wide experiments in a negligent manner 0.682 q8ethic I shall not purposely seek to gain unauthorized access to Internet resources. 0.675 Academic Integrity q10integ It is unethical to take credit for someone else’s work. 0.774 0.4722 0.89976 q11integ It is unethical to use materials found on the Internet without acknowledging the work. 0.716 q12integ It is unethical to use computing devices to cheat in an examination. 0.775 q13integ It is unethical to obtain from the Internet work done by others and submit as one’s own. 0.634 q14integ It is unethical to hire someone over the Internet to write an assignment for me. 0.763 q15integ It is unethical to add the name of a non-contributing person as an author in a project or research paper for publication. 0.663 q16integ It is unethical to deliberately provide inaccurate references for research study. 0.632 q17integ It is unethical to purchase or submit a research or term paper from the Internet to a class as one’s own work. 0.845 Cyber Privacy q20priv I shall not obtain another person’s private files by means of the Internet. 0.71 0.5777 0.73151 q21priv I shall not read someone else’s private message (such as email or WhatsApp) without permission 0.807 Cyber Safety q22safty I shall not use a computer to harm other people. 0.739 0.56592 0.86480 q23safty I shall not use a computer to endanger the safety, health, or the environment 0.681 q24safty I shall not use the computer to damage others properties 0.82 q25safty I shall not use the computer to destroy critical infrastructure such as transport systems, hospitals, water, and electricity 0.596 q26safty I shall not use the computer to damage others’ reputation 0.89 Intellectual Property Right q28propert It is unethical to download or distribute copyrighted materials (e.g. software, e-books, video, and audio) or trade secrets to other people over the Internet. 0.796 0.58677 0.80961 q27propert It is unethical to buy software over the Internet with a single user license and then install it on multiple computers. 0.721 q29propert It is unethical to obtain, disclose or allow others to use trade secrets obtained by stealing from the Internet 0.779 Netiquette q30netiq I shall not make hate-speech or derogatory comments to defame others over the Internet 0.815 0.7142 0.88204 q31netiq I shall not use the computer to tarnish the reputation of others 0.812 q32netiq I shall not use the computer to bear false witness. 0.905 CR – Composite Reliability; AVE - Average Variance Extracted Discussion The study evaluated criteria for major model fit indices in order to discuss the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument (PCEI). The results showed that seven items had factor loadings below the recommended threshold of 0.5 and were progressively excluded from the model. This analysis led to the retention of 25 items with factor loadings above 0.5, demonstrating their appropriateness for the final version of the instrument (refer to Table 3 ).The findings of the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed a seven-factor structure for measuring cyber ethics. 1. Academic Integrity (8 items), 2.Netiquette (7 items), 3.Cyber Safety (5 items), 4.Computer Ethics (4 items), 5.Cyber Privacy (4 items), 6.Cyber Security (2 items), and 7.Cyber Protection (2 items). Together, these factors accounted for a high percentage of the total variance, specifically 70.21%. The majority of the items had factor loadings above the 0.5 criteria for retention, except for one item “I shall not obtain another person’s private files by means of the Internet” Equal to 0.47. However, it is recommended to aim for a loading of 0.7 for better results. The internal consistency of the factors, as measured by Cronbach's alpha, Cyber Safety demonstrated the highest reliability of the constructs (0.88). One of the core principles of cyber ethics is the importance of respecting individuals' privacy. In the digital realm, personal information is often shared online, whether voluntarily or inadvertently. Ethical behavior calls for individuals to handle this information responsibly, ensuring that it is not exploited for malicious purposes. This includes respecting consent when sharing personal information, using secure platforms for communication, and avoiding the invasion of someone's digital privacy without their permission. Based on CFA analysis, after editing items, Academic Integrity exhibited the highest construct reliability (0.9) and Netiquette revealed the highest average variance explained (0.71) among the factors. In terms of Netiquette, the item "I shall not use the computer to bear false witness" exhibited the highest loading coefficient of 0.91. Therefore, Netiquette serves as an appropriate factor for assessing cyber ethics. Some factors within cyber ethics are " q1 = I shall not waste computer resources (waste bandwidth and cause denial of access, q2 = I shall not use a computer to steal or engage in fraud, q3 = I shall not interfere with other people’s computer work, q4 = I shall not hack into or take computer systems for ransom, q9 = I shall not use the computer to send files infected with viruses over the Internet, q18 = I shall not disclose confidential institutional information to others without authorization, and q19 = I shall not violate the privacy and confidentiality of information entrusted to me for personal interest" recorded the lowest factor loading coefficient. This could be attributed to the disinterest of the study participants in stealing trade secrets. Regarding the model chi-square index, it was found to be statistically significant (p < .05). Traditionally, an insignificant result is considered indicative of a good model fit at the 0.05 threshold. However, the notion of relying solely on the chi-square index for model fit has been challenged due to its sensitivity to sample size. In fact, when large samples are used, the chi-square index tends to reject the model even when it may fit well. As this study had a relatively small sample size, it was expected to obtain an insignificant result (p > .05) for the chi-square index. The Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) was .681, the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) was.711, and the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) was 0.118. These values demonstrate that the CEI instrument fits the data not well, as they are within the recommended cut-off points suggested by [ 19 , 21 ]. However, it is important to note that all other model fit indices indicated an acceptable fit for the model after loading factor less than 0.6, were excluded from the study. The Root Mean Square Residual (RMR) was 0.035, the Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI) was 0.984, the Adjusted Goodness-of-Fit Index (AGFI) was 0.98, the Normed Fit Index (NFI) was 0.98 (Table 3 ). The 25 items that loaded on the model were Composite Reliability (CR) from 0.7315 to 0.8998 and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) from 0.4375 to 0.7142 In this study, we compared the psychometric properties of PCEI instrument with three other instruments: the original version of CEI developed by Winfred Yaokumah in 2020[ 17 ], the Cyber Human Values Scale developed by Kilicer, Coklar, and Ozeke [ 22 ], and the Cyberethics Scale (CES) developed by Supavai [ 23 ]. The CES measures online moral reasoning and has a five-factor structure as well: Comprising of privacy; rule and regulation; cyber-bullying; property; truth, trustworthiness, and identity. Also, Cyber Human Values Scale (i-value) was developed to measure the level of cyber human values of social media users. The scale generated a 5-factor structure, consisting of being peaceful, truth, solidarity, respect and tolerance [ 22 ]. The original version of CEI has 6 dimensions of Cyber Privacy, Computer Ethics, Academic Integrity, Cyber Safety, Intellectual Property and Netiquette[ 17 ]. The PCEI was specifically developed for measuring cyber ethics among virtual students of medical sciences universities in Iran, with a seven-factor structure: Academic Integrity, Netiquette, Cyber Safety, Computer Ethics, Cyber Privacy, Cyber Security, and Cyber Protection. The academic integrity had reliability of 0.81 in another study [ 24 ]. It is hiring someone over the Internet to write an assignment, using materials without acknowledging them, and submitting someone’s work as one’s own. Another problem in higher education was academic dishonesty in cyberspace [ 25 ] which was found as one of the critical factors for evaluating cyber ethics. The other item was Cyber privacy which the confidentiality of personal information is important in cyberspace [ 26 ]. Cyber security is keeping secrets and maintaining privacy as a key principle factor [ 27 ]. Cyber safety had a high reliability coefficient of .88 which include critical infrastructure protection as a major universal concern [ 28 ]. In summary, the essential aspect of cyber ethics revolves around online security. With cybercrime on the rise, it is crucial to act ethically and responsibly to protect oneself and others from potential threats. This involves adopting robust security practices, such as using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and regularly updating software to prevent vulnerabilities. Additionally, individuals should be cautious about forwarding or engaging with suspicious emails, messages, or links to prevent falling victim to phishing scams or spreading malware unknowingly. To ensure that cyber ethics is effectively integrated into society, it is essential for educational institutions, organizations, and governments to promote awareness and provide guidance. Educational programs should incorporate cyber ethics into their curriculum, emphasizing the importance of ethical behavior online and teaching students how to navigate the digital world responsibly. Organizations should establish clear policies and guidelines to promote ethical conduct among employees and customers. Governments play a crucial role in creating and enforcing legislation that holds cybercriminals accountable and safeguards individuals' digital rights, thereby promoting ethical behavior on a broader scale. Conclusion In conclusion, the results established the viability of PCEI for measuring cyber ethics in Iranian students. It deals with ethical issues and considerations concerning technology and online interactions, encompassing a wide range of topics such as Academic Integrity, Netiquette, Cyber Safety, Computer Ethics, Cyber Privacy, Cyber Security, and Cyber Protection to creating a safe, inclusive, and ethical online environment. By respecting privacy, implementing adequate security measures, respecting intellectual property, practicing good digital citizenship, and cultivating critical thinking, we can contribute to creating a safe, inclusive, and ethical online environment. It is everyone's responsibility to promote ethical behavior both offline and online to ensure a sustainable and harmonious digital society. Declarations - Ethics approval and consent to participate : Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. This study was approved by Ethic Committee of Virtual University of Medical Sciences. Ethic Committee Code is: IR.VUMS.REC.1400.042. - Consent for publication : 'Not applicable' -Competing interests : 'Not applicable'. The authors declare that they have no competing interest funding in this study. - Funding : 'Not applicable' - Authors' contributions for that section : S.O., N.K., and M.T. designed the study. S.O. analyzed and interpreted the student data regarding Psychometrics of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument among virtual students of medical sciences universities. S.O. and MT performed this study. S.O., S.A., and N.K. contributed to writing the manuscript. 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Shiffrin SH. What's Wrong with the First Amendment. Cambridge University Press; 2016. García-Matos M, Torner L. The wonders of light. Cambridge University Press; 2015. Amin Z. A practical road map for assessing cyber risk. J Risk Res. 2019;22(1):32–43. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4450553","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":308013624,"identity":"998a6a1f-4bfc-4ba2-ac66-04ec65509b13","order_by":0,"name":"Sonia Oveisi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Department of medical education, Smart University of Medical Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sonia","middleName":"","lastName":"Oveisi","suffix":""},{"id":308013625,"identity":"97751a5a-2a74-4dbe-81b6-61c1c91dc385","order_by":1,"name":"Noushin Kohan","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA00lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACgwMMzAyMDQwM/CBeQgERWixgWiQbQFoMiNBiA9MCtA5kKTFabiQwG3zcYZdnfH514ocHBgzy/GIH8GsxA2pJnHkmudjsxtvNEkCHGc6cnUBYy2HeNubEbTfObgBpSTC4TUCLMURLfeLmGWc3/yBKiyFQSzJv2+HEDfy924izxfDMw2bDmW3HE2fc4N1mkWAgQdgvBseTD0t8bKtO7O8/u/nmjwobeX5pAloYwJECAhJglRKElCMD/gOkqB4Fo2AUjIKRBACCMkoa648qVwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Department of medical education, Smart University of Medical Sciences","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Noushin","middleName":"","lastName":"Kohan","suffix":""},{"id":308013626,"identity":"2f6dfd1b-d90f-4c71-b4a3-e8eeb88b79e9","order_by":2,"name":"Mahbubeh Tabatabaeichehr","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mahbubeh","middleName":"","lastName":"Tabatabaeichehr","suffix":""},{"id":308013627,"identity":"c6140413-38d2-4638-97a3-d238fd3337e7","order_by":3,"name":"Soleiman Ahmady","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Soleiman","middleName":"","lastName":"Ahmady","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-05-20 17:59:24","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4450553/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4450553/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":57941908,"identity":"8486f648-311f-49e0-aaf1-e67dba756b3f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-06-07 18:59:29","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":625991,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults of the confirmatory factor analysis of CEI\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4450553/v1/a8d3507aa56baa28160a7a1e.png"},{"id":58254424,"identity":"5d4d6c78-35d5-4fa0-bfec-e794ffc2c06a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-06-13 04:45:17","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1447560,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4450553/v1/9c324a7a-71ad-4220-85a4-07cc73883511.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Psychometrics of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument among virtual students of medical sciences universities, Iran","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn today's interconnected world, cyberspace plays a central role in our personal, professional, and social lives. With this increased reliance on technology, the concept of cyber ethics has emerged as a crucial framework for individuals, organizations, and governments to navigate the digital domain responsibly. Cyber ethics encompasses a range of moral, legal, and societal considerations, aiming to safeguard online interactions, protect privacy, uphold intellectual property rights, and promote equitable access to information. The cyberspace, in the process of exchanging knowledge and information, is becoming more and more known every day, so that the amount of information on the Internet doubles every two months and the number of users doubles every year [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. To the extent that the use of the Internet increases in various aspects of life, we will also witness the emergence of ethical problems related to cyber spaces, and despite the many advantages of these technologies in the cyber space, there are threats especially in line with the issue of observing ethics in the cyber space. As information security issues have been one of the most important concerns of cyberspace users, researchers have sought to explain acceptable solutions to improve data security for all users, including military, educational, and patient medical records. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnderstanding Cyber Ethics, and Ethical Issues in Cyberspace [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e] involve a complex web of concerns, including Privacy and Data Protection [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e], Intellectual Property Rights [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e], Cybercrime and Cybersecurity [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e], Digital Divide and Equitable Access [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e], Cyberbullying and Online Harassment [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e], and Ethics in AI and Big Data [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. The cited references offer an extensive pool of knowledge, theories, and perspectives that delve into the multifaceted nature of cyber ethics. By considering these sources, researchers and practitioners can deepen their understanding and foster responsible ethical behavior in the digital age. Fundamentally changing the way Internet security threats are communicated to users is more effective than working on the mental models that users might impose on those communications [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. For example, the security system can give a direct warning to the user, but redirect them to a known secure site. Such a default \"opt-in\" system may quietly inform users of the reason they are being redirected and give them an opportunity to change the safety decision made on their behalf. This can not only improve safe online behavior, but also encourage the perception of security warnings as more effective protection for users (for example, perceptions of reliability and validity). [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn many ways, responsible behavior on the Internet is consistent with all correct behavior in everyday life, but sometimes the reality is not like this, and some people try to act secretly on the Internet and think that they can remain anonymous. They show themselves. Although this is not always the case, many internet browsers can detect their traces and be used to detect illegal or inappropriate behavior[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs technology continues to advance, the importance of cyberspace and cyber ethics becomes increasingly evident. The cited references provided here offer a wealth of knowledge, perspectives, and research into the multifaceted field of cyber ethics. By staying informed and adhering to ethical principles in the digital realm, individuals, organizations, and governments can ensure a secure, just, and inclusive online environment for everyone.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlthough ethics is a branch of philosophy and with the concept of values related to human behavior, according to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and motives, and moral principles govern the behavior or performance of an individual's activity, but with age, Cultural group, ethnic background, religion, life experiences and education can have different interpretations [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. Therefore, it is necessary that normative ethics, in other words, the standards of correctness and incorrectness of ethical measurement tools in cyberspace, should be examined separately in different local cultures and traditions in terms of confidentiality and privacy, data security and cyber security[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Due to the lack of a valid and reliable tool to evaluate the level of compliance with ethical issues in the cyber space in the universities of medical sciences in Iran, the purpose of this study is to investigate the psychometrics of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument (PCEI) in the virtual students of the universities of medical sciences in the country. This tool has 6 dimensions of Cyber Privacy, Computer Ethics, Academic Integrity, Cyber Safety, Intellectual Property and Netiquette. This instrument in was designed by Winfred Yaokumah in 2020 and was psychometrically tested on 503 students. Its factor analysis structure was determined with the six domains with a total variance of 67.7% [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e] and its reliability Confirmed with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.989. This tool has 32 items that examine the above indicators.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn this descriptive study, the psychometric properties, including the validity and reliability of the questionnaire among virtual students of medical sciences universities were examined. Permission to use the tool was first obtained by correspondence with the main researcher. The instrument was translated into Persian and translated again by two professors who were fluent in English. Face validity and content validity were done by students and faculties respectively. Participants were 163 undergraduate students from two consecutive semesters in the same academic year. They ranged in age from 17 to 24 (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;18.7, S.D. = 1.0). The Personal Information Questionnaire assessed demographic variables. Participants convened in small groups and provided written consent before filling out the questionnaire packet. The assessment sessions lasted approximately 20 min. Cronbach's alpha coefficient is estimated in order to determining the reliability of the tool of adherence to ethical principles in cyber space. The suitable internal consistency was considered more than 0.7. Then, the dataset underwent Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to scrutinize the questionnaire's factorial validity. The principal component method, with an eigenvalue threshold of 1.0 for factor acceptance, was employed for covariance structure analysis. A factor loading value of 0.5 served as the criterion for item retention. The extracted factors were rotated using Varimax rotation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. The item reliability within each factor was assessed via Cronbach's α. Lastly, the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to evaluate the model's fit to the data, utilizing path analysis. Various fit indices, such as the goodness-of-fit index (GFI\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.90), adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.90), normed fit index (NFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), comparative fit index (CFI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.06) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e], were employed to gauge the model's goodness-of-fit. Post-fitness assessment, composite reliability (CR) for convergent validity and average variance extracted (AVE) for discriminant validity were evaluated. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 24 for EFA and Cronbach's alpha computation, while AMOS version 26 software was employed for CFA.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study was conducted to investigate the psychometric indicators of the tool for evaluating adherence to ethical principles in cyberspace, on 163 students studying at the Virtual University of Medical Sciences. The analysis of data was performed in three steps: 1- Cronbach's alpha Reliability, 2- Exploratory Factor Analysis, and 3- confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipants were 81(49.7%) male and 152 (93.3) single. All students lived in the city area and the majority of them (90%) were medical students.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1- Cronbach's alpha Reliability:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCalculating the tool's reliability index was based on Cronbach's alpha. Overall reliability is equal to 0.944. It has also been calculated separately for each index as shown in the Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"colspec\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ctable id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCronbach's alpha Reliability of Items.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/caption\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFactors\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eN of Items\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCronbach's Alpha\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.79\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcademic Integrity\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.9\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCyber Privacy\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.78\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCyber Safety\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.88\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntellectual Property Right\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.78\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNetiquette\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.87\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2. Exploratory factor analysis:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this research, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to examine the psychometric properties of a scale and to determine its underlying factor structure. A sample of 163 respondents answered 32 cyber ethics-related items. Before conducting the EFA, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett's test of sphericity were applied to assess the factorability of the data. The KMO measure of sampling adequacy was 0.883, which surpassed the recommended value of 0.60 [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e], suggesting that the data were suitable for principal components analysis. Additionally, Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (Bartlett's Test\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3732.227, df\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;496, P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), indicating that there was sufficient correlation between the variables, allowing for further analysis [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe EFA was then conducted using maximum likelihood method and varimax rotation to extract the factor structure of the instrument and assess construct validity. Factors were determined based on a scree-plot, cumulative variance explained, interpretability, and Kaiser's criterion. Employing the Kaiser-Guttman retention criterion of eigenvalues greater than 1.0 [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e], seven factors were extracted, accounting for 70.21% of the total variance. Each of the 32 items had factor loadings ranging from 0.47 to 0.80 (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Finally, the seven factors were named based on the recommendations provided by researchers. Calculation of Rotated Component Matrix index with Varimax with Kaiser Normalization Rotation Method: A criterion greater than 0.5 is considered for Loading. Eigenvalues for the first seven extracted factors were 12.764, 2.613, 2.207, 1.512, 1.204, 1.144, and 1.022. The seven rationally derived factors did not emerge in any of the solutions considered. Items of Factors are different from original version:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFactor 1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcademic Integrity (4 items) and of Intellectual Property Right (2 items) accounted for 17.22% of the variance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFactor 2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNetiquette (3 items), Cyber Safety (2 items), Intellectual Property Right (1 item), and Cyber Privacy (1 item) accounted for 13.76% of the variance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFactor 3\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCyber Safety (3 items) and Cyber Privacy (2 items) accounted for 11.22% of the variance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFactor 4\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComputer Ethics (3 items) and Academic Integrity (1 item) accounted for 8.40% of the variance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFactor 5\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComputer Ethics (3 items) and Cyber Privacy (1 item) accounted for 7.5% of the variance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFactor 6\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComputer Ethics (1 item) and Academic Integrity (1 item) accounted for 6.22% of the variance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFactor 7\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComputer Ethics (2 items) accounted for 5.88% of the variance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore, we named factor \u003cstrong\u003e1 to 7\u003c/strong\u003e in terms of its concept to: \u003cstrong\u003e1.\u003c/strong\u003e Academic Integrity (8 items), \u003cstrong\u003e2.\u003c/strong\u003eNetiquette (7 items), \u003cstrong\u003e3.\u003c/strong\u003eCyber Safety (5 items), \u003cstrong\u003e4.\u003c/strong\u003eComputer Ethics (4 items), \u003cstrong\u003e5.\u003c/strong\u003eCyber Privacy (4 items), \u003cstrong\u003e6.\u003c/strong\u003eCyber Security (2 items), and \u003cstrong\u003e7.\u003c/strong\u003eCyber Protection (2 items).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"colspec\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"colspec\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ctable id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFactor loadings results from exploratory factor analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/caption\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNew Factors\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginal Factors\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQuestions\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"7\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRotated Component Matrix\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"8\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcademic Integrity\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcademic Integrity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to use computing devices to cheat in an examination.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.78\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcademic Integrity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to take credit for someone else\u0026rsquo;s work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.72\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntellectual Property Right\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to buy software over the Internet with a single user license and then install it on multiple computers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.70\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.37\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcademic Integrity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to purchase or submit a research or term paper from the Internet to a class as one\u0026rsquo;s own work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.69\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcademic Integrity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to hire someone over the Internet to write an assignment for me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.68\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.37\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcademic Integrity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to add the name of a non-contributing person as an author in a project or research paper for publication.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.66\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcademic Integrity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to use materials found on the Internet without acknowledging the work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.59\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.33\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntellectual Property Right\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to download or distribute copyrighted materials (e.g. software, e-books, video, and audio) or trade secrets to other people over the Internet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.56\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.30\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"7\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNetiquette\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCyber Safety\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use the computer to damage others properties\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.80\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.34\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNetiquette\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use the computer to tarnish the reputation of others.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.78\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNetiquette\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not make hate-speech or derogatory comments to defame others over the Internet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.75\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNetiquette\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use the computer to bear false witness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.33\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.68\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCyber Safety\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use the computer to damage others\u0026rsquo; reputation\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.33\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.63\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.51\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntellectual Property Right\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to obtain, disclose or allow others to use trade secrets obtained by stealing from the Internet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.51\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.55\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.33\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCyber Privacy\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not read someone else\u0026rsquo;s private message (such as email or WhatsApp) without permission\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.53\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.45\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.46\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"5\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCyber Safety\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCyber Safety\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use the computer to destroy critical infrastructure such as transport systems, hospitals, water, and electricity\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.37\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.79\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCyber Safety\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use a computer to harm other people.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.74\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCyber Safety\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use a computer to endanger the safety, health, or the environment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.72\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCyber Privacy\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not violate the privacy and confidentiality of information entrusted to me for personal interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.54\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.41\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCyber Privacy\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not obtain another person\u0026rsquo;s private files by means of the Internet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.47\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.33\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.47\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not disrupt the intended use of the Internet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.38\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.72\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not hack into or take computer systems for ransom\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.71\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcademic Integrity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to obtain from the Internet work done by others and submit as one\u0026rsquo;s own.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.53\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not destroy the integrity of computer-based information.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.35\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.53\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.37\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.39\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCyber Privacy\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not purposely seek to gain unauthorized access to Internet resources.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.74\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCyber Privacy\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not disclose confidential institutional information to others without authorization.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.46\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.31\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.56\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not conduct Internet-wide experiments in a negligent manner.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.34\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.54\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.31\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use a computer to steal or engage in fraud.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.33\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.52\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.34\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCyber Security\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use the computer to send files infected with viruses over the Internet\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.75\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcademic Integrity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to deliberately provide inaccurate references for research study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.41\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.57\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.31\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCyber Protection\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not waste computer resources (waste bandwidth and cause denial of access).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.42\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.66\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not interfere with other people\u0026rsquo;s computer work\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.39\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.58\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3- Confirmatory factor analysis:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConfirmatory factor analysis was undertaken to examine the model fit. Checking the regression coefficient for data loading in the study based on AMOS software (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Firstly, we were interested to assess of fit model for 32 questions. Results showed comparative fit index (CFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.711), normed fit index (NFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.635), TLI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.681 and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.118). Secondly, questions with a coefficient greater than 0.6 have entered in the model. Therefore, questions \" q1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not waste computer resources (waste bandwidth and cause denial of access, q2\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not use a computer to steal or engage in fraud, q3\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not interfere with other people\u0026rsquo;s computer work, q4\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not hack into or take computer systems for ransom, q9\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not use the computer to send files infected with viruses over the Internet, q18\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not disclose confidential institutional information to others without authorization, and q19\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not violate the privacy and confidentiality of information entrusted to me for personal interest\", which were less than 0.6, were excluded from the study. Then, all other model fit indices were acceptable: Root Mean Square Residual (RMR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.035), goodness-of-fit index (GFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.984), adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.98), normed fit index (NFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.98) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). The 25 items that loaded on the model were Composite Reliability (CR) from 0.7315 to 0.8998 and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) from 0.4375 to 0.7142. (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n\u003ctable id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFactor Loading, Construct Validity and AVE from CFA\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/caption\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth colspan=\"5\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStandardized Regression Weights\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFactors\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDescription\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLoading\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAVE\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCR\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComputer Ethics\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq5ethic\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not disrupt the intended use of the Internet\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.619\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.4375\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.7565\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq6ethic\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not destroy the integrity of computer-based information.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.668\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq7ethic\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not conduct Internet-wide experiments in a negligent manner\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.682\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq8ethic\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not purposely seek to gain unauthorized access to Internet resources.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.675\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"8\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcademic Integrity\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq10integ\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to take credit for someone else\u0026rsquo;s work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.774\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"8\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.4722\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"8\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.89976\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq11integ\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to use materials found on the Internet without acknowledging the work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.716\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq12integ\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to use computing devices to cheat in an examination.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.775\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq13integ\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to obtain from the Internet work done by others and submit as one\u0026rsquo;s own.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.634\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq14integ\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to hire someone over the Internet to write an assignment for me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.763\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq15integ\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to add the name of a non-contributing person as an author in a project or research paper for publication.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.663\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq16integ\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to deliberately provide inaccurate references for research study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.632\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq17integ\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to purchase or submit a research or term paper from the Internet to a class as one\u0026rsquo;s own work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.845\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCyber Privacy\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq20priv\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not obtain another person\u0026rsquo;s private files by means of the Internet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.71\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.5777\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.73151\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq21priv\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not read someone else\u0026rsquo;s private message (such as email or WhatsApp) without permission\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.807\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"5\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCyber Safety\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq22safty\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use a computer to harm other people.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.739\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"5\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.56592\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"5\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.86480\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq23safty\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use a computer to endanger the safety, health, or the environment\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.681\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq24safty\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use the computer to damage others properties\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.82\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq25safty\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use the computer to destroy critical infrastructure such as transport systems, hospitals, water, and electricity\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.596\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq26safty\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use the computer to damage others\u0026rsquo; reputation\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.89\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntellectual Property Right\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq28propert\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to download or distribute copyrighted materials (e.g. software, e-books, video, and audio) or trade secrets to other people over the Internet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.796\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.58677\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.80961\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq27propert\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to buy software over the Internet with a single user license and then install it on multiple computers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.721\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq29propert\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is unethical to obtain, disclose or allow others to use trade secrets obtained by stealing from the Internet\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.779\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNetiquette\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq30netiq\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not make hate-speech or derogatory comments to defame others over the Internet\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.815\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0.7142\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd rowspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.88204\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq31netiq\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use the computer to tarnish the reputation of others\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.812\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eq32netiq\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI shall not use the computer to bear false witness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e0.905\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd colspan=\"6\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCR \u0026ndash; Composite Reliability; AVE - Average Variance Extracted\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe study evaluated criteria for major model fit indices in order to discuss the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument (PCEI). The results showed that seven items had factor loadings below the recommended threshold of 0.5 and were progressively excluded from the model. This analysis led to the retention of 25 items with factor loadings above 0.5, demonstrating their appropriateness for the final version of the instrument (refer to Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).The findings of the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed a seven-factor structure for measuring cyber ethics. 1. Academic Integrity (8 items), 2.Netiquette (7 items), 3.Cyber Safety (5 items), 4.Computer Ethics (4 items), 5.Cyber Privacy (4 items), 6.Cyber Security (2 items), and 7.Cyber Protection (2 items). Together, these factors accounted for a high percentage of the total variance, specifically 70.21%. The majority of the items had factor loadings above the 0.5 criteria for retention, except for one item \u0026ldquo;I shall not obtain another person\u0026rsquo;s private files by means of the Internet\u0026rdquo; Equal to 0.47. However, it is recommended to aim for a loading of 0.7 for better results. The internal consistency of the factors, as measured by Cronbach's alpha, Cyber Safety demonstrated the highest reliability of the constructs (0.88). One of the core principles of cyber ethics is the importance of respecting individuals' privacy. In the digital realm, personal information is often shared online, whether voluntarily or inadvertently. Ethical behavior calls for individuals to handle this information responsibly, ensuring that it is not exploited for malicious purposes. This includes respecting consent when sharing personal information, using secure platforms for communication, and avoiding the invasion of someone's digital privacy without their permission.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on CFA analysis, after editing items, Academic Integrity exhibited the highest construct reliability (0.9) and Netiquette revealed the highest average variance explained (0.71) among the factors. In terms of Netiquette, the item \"I shall not use the computer to bear false witness\" exhibited the highest loading coefficient of 0.91. Therefore, Netiquette serves as an appropriate factor for assessing cyber ethics. Some factors within cyber ethics are \" q1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not waste computer resources (waste bandwidth and cause denial of access, q2\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not use a computer to steal or engage in fraud, q3\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not interfere with other people\u0026rsquo;s computer work, q4\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not hack into or take computer systems for ransom, q9\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not use the computer to send files infected with viruses over the Internet, q18\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not disclose confidential institutional information to others without authorization, and q19\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;I shall not violate the privacy and confidentiality of information entrusted to me for personal interest\" recorded the lowest factor loading coefficient. This could be attributed to the disinterest of the study participants in stealing trade secrets. Regarding the model chi-square index, it was found to be statistically significant (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.05). Traditionally, an insignificant result is considered indicative of a good model fit at the 0.05 threshold. However, the notion of relying solely on the chi-square index for model fit has been challenged due to its sensitivity to sample size. In fact, when large samples are used, the chi-square index tends to reject the model even when it may fit well. As this study had a relatively small sample size, it was expected to obtain an insignificant result (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;.05) for the chi-square index. The Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) was .681, the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) was.711, and the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) was 0.118. These values demonstrate that the CEI instrument fits the data not well, as they are within the recommended cut-off points suggested by [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]. However, it is important to note that all other model fit indices indicated an acceptable fit for the model after loading factor less than 0.6, were excluded from the study. The Root Mean Square Residual (RMR) was 0.035, the Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI) was 0.984, the Adjusted Goodness-of-Fit Index (AGFI) was 0.98, the Normed Fit Index (NFI) was 0.98 (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). The 25 items that loaded on the model were Composite Reliability (CR) from 0.7315 to 0.8998 and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) from 0.4375 to 0.7142\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this study, we compared the psychometric properties of PCEI instrument with three other instruments: the original version of CEI developed by Winfred Yaokumah in 2020[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e], the Cyber Human Values Scale developed by Kilicer, Coklar, and Ozeke [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e], and the Cyberethics Scale (CES) developed by Supavai [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]. The CES measures online moral reasoning and has a five-factor structure as well: Comprising of privacy; rule and regulation; cyber-bullying; property; truth, trustworthiness, and identity. Also, Cyber Human Values Scale (i-value) was developed to measure the level of cyber human values of social media users. The scale generated a 5-factor structure, consisting of being peaceful, truth, solidarity, respect and tolerance [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]. The original version of CEI has 6 dimensions of Cyber Privacy, Computer Ethics, Academic Integrity, Cyber Safety, Intellectual Property and Netiquette[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e]. The PCEI was specifically developed for measuring cyber ethics among virtual students of medical sciences universities in Iran, with a seven-factor structure: Academic Integrity, Netiquette, Cyber Safety, Computer Ethics, Cyber Privacy, Cyber Security, and Cyber Protection.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe academic integrity had reliability of 0.81 in another study [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]. It is hiring someone over the Internet to write an assignment, using materials without acknowledging them, and submitting someone\u0026rsquo;s work as one\u0026rsquo;s own. Another problem in higher education was academic dishonesty in cyberspace [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e] which was found as one of the critical factors for evaluating cyber ethics. The other item was Cyber privacy which the confidentiality of personal information is important in cyberspace [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. Cyber security is keeping secrets and maintaining privacy as a key principle factor [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]. Cyber safety had a high reliability coefficient of .88 which include critical\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003einfrastructure protection as a major universal concern [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn summary, the essential aspect of cyber ethics revolves around online security. With cybercrime on the rise, it is crucial to act ethically and responsibly to protect oneself and others from potential threats. This involves adopting robust security practices, such as using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and regularly updating software to prevent vulnerabilities. Additionally, individuals should be cautious about forwarding or engaging with suspicious emails, messages, or links to prevent falling victim to phishing scams or spreading malware unknowingly. To ensure that cyber ethics is effectively integrated into society, it is essential for educational institutions, organizations, and governments to promote awareness and provide guidance. Educational programs should incorporate cyber ethics into their curriculum, emphasizing the importance of ethical behavior online and teaching students how to navigate the digital world responsibly. Organizations should establish clear policies and guidelines to promote ethical conduct among employees and customers. Governments play a crucial role in creating and enforcing legislation that holds cybercriminals accountable and safeguards individuals' digital rights, thereby promoting ethical behavior on a broader scale.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, the results established the viability of PCEI for measuring cyber ethics in Iranian students. It deals with ethical issues and considerations concerning technology and online interactions, encompassing a wide range of topics such as Academic Integrity, Netiquette, Cyber Safety, Computer Ethics, Cyber Privacy, Cyber Security, and Cyber Protection to creating a safe, inclusive, and ethical online environment. By respecting privacy, implementing adequate security measures, respecting intellectual property, practicing good digital citizenship, and cultivating critical thinking, we can contribute to creating a safe, inclusive, and ethical online environment. It is everyone's responsibility to promote ethical behavior both offline and online to ensure a sustainable and harmonious digital society.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e-\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e:\u0026nbsp;Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. This study was approved by Ethic Committee of Virtual University of Medical Sciences. Ethic Committee Code is: IR.VUMS.REC.1400.042.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e: \u0026apos;Not applicable\u0026apos;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-Competing interests\u003c/strong\u003e: \u0026apos;Not applicable\u0026apos;.\u0026nbsp;The authors declare that they have no competing interest funding in this study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e: \u0026apos;Not applicable\u0026apos;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026apos; contributions for that section\u003c/strong\u003e:\u0026nbsp;S.O., N.K., and M.T. designed the study. S.O. analyzed and interpreted the student data regarding Psychometrics of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument among virtual students of medical sciences universities. S.O. and MT performed this study. S.O., S.A., and N.K. contributed to writing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-Availability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e -\u0026nbsp;The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBradshaw AC. Internet users worldwide. Education Tech Research Dev. 2001;49(4):112\u0026ndash;7.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBrase GL, Vasserman EY, Hsu W. \u003cem\u003eDo different mental models influence cybersecurity behavior? Evaluations via statistical reasoning performance.\u003c/em\u003e Frontiers in psychology, 2017. 8: p. 1929.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDunn Cavelty M. Breaking the cyber-security dilemma: aligning security needs and removing vulnerabilities. Sci Eng Ethics. 2014;20(3):701\u0026ndash;15.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpinello R. Cyberethics: Morality and law in cyberspace. Jones \u0026amp; Bartlett; 2010.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTavani HT. Ethics and technology: Controversies, questions, and strategies for ethical computing. Wiley; 2016.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNissenbaum H. A contextual approach to privacy online. Daedalus. 2011;140(4):32\u0026ndash;48.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHeald PJ. How copyright makes books and music disappear (and how secondary liability rules help resurrect old songs). Illinois Program in Law, Behavior and Social Science Research Papers; 2013. p. 13.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWall DS. Cybercrime and the culture of fear: Social science fiction (s) and the production of knowledge about cybercrime. Inform Communication Soc. 2008;11(6):861\u0026ndash;84.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSong Z, Johnston RM, Ng CP. Equitable healthcare access during the pandemic: The impact of digital divide and other sociodemographic and systemic factors. Appl Res Artif Intell Cloud Comput. 2021;4(1):19\u0026ndash;33.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePatchin J, Hinduja S. Cyberbullying Identification, Prevention, and Response. Cyberbullying Research Center; 2019.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMittelstadt BD, et al. The ethics of algorithms: Mapping the debate. Big Data Soc. 2016;3(2):2053951716679679.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBagheri-Nesami M, Ahmady S, Kohan N. Relationship between information and communications technology engagement with online self-regulated learning in nursing students of Mazandaran University of medical sciences. J Nurs Midwifery Sci. 2021;8(4):253\u0026ndash;9.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePieters W, Hadžiosmanović D, Dechesne F. Security-by-Experiment: Lessons from Responsible Deployment in Cyberspace. Sci Eng Ethics. 2016;22(3):831\u0026ndash;50.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBaum JJ. CyberEthics: The new frontier. TechTrends. 2005;49(6):54.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShahAli S, et al. Using e-learning methods for physiotherapy students learning\u0026ndash;a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact on knowledge, skills, satisfaction and attitudes. Eur J Physiotherapy. 2023;25(5):252\u0026ndash;64.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePusey P, Sadera WA. Cyberethics, cybersafety, and cybersecurity: Preservice teacher knowledge, preparedness, and the need for teacher education to make a difference. J Digit Learn Teacher Educ. 2011;28(2):82\u0026ndash;5.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYaokumah W. Development and Psychometric Analysis of Cyber Ethics Instrument (CEI). Int J Technoethics (IJT). 2021;12(1):54\u0026ndash;74.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFabrigar LR, et al. Evaluating the use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research. Psychol Methods. 1999;4(3):272.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteiger JH. Understanding the limitations of global fit assessment in structural equation modeling. Pers Indiv Differ. 2007;42(5):893\u0026ndash;8.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKaiser HF, Rice J. Little jiffy, mark IV. Educ Psychol Meas. 1974;34(1):111\u0026ndash;7.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBentler PM. Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychol Bull. 1990;107(2):238.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKilicer K, Coklar AN, Ozeke V. Cyber human values scale (i-value): the study of development, validity and reliability. Internet Res, 2017.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSupavai E. Measuring online moral reasoning: The development and psychometric properties of the Cyberethics Scale. Boston University; 2014.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSwartz LB, Cole MT. STUDENTS'PERCEPTION OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY IN ONLINE BUSINESS EDUCATION COURSES. J Bus Educational Leadersh, 2013. 4(1).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSulphey M. A study on the Academic dishonesty, Anomia and Unethical Behaviour among Business Graduates. J Contemp Manage Res, 2013. 8(2).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShiffrin SH. What's Wrong with the First Amendment. Cambridge University Press; 2016.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGarc\u0026iacute;a-Matos M, Torner L. The wonders of light. Cambridge University Press; 2015.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmin Z. A practical road map for assessing cyber risk. J Risk Res. 2019;22(1):32\u0026ndash;43.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Cyber Ethics Instrument, virtual students, psychometric index, Persian, Iran","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4450553/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4450553/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eIntroduction\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study extended previous psychometric evaluations of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument (PCEI) by determining the factor structure, and internal consistency and providing convergent and discriminant evidence for its validity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMethod\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this descriptive study, we evaluated the psychometrics of the PCEI among virtual students of medical sciences universities in Iran from 2021 to 2023. Participants were 163 undergraduate students from two consecutive semesters in the same academic year. They ranged in age from 17 to 24 (M = 18.7, S.D. = 1.0) and 50.3% were women. The CEI tool which was developed by Winfred Yaokumah was used.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResults\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA seven-factor solution emerged (32 items), invariant across gender and semester. These items were combined to create a PCEI with an overall reliability equal to 0.944. Results showed comparative fit index (CFI = .711), normed fit index (NFI = .635), TLI = .681, and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA = .118). The 25 items that loaded on the model were Composite Reliability (CR) from 0.7315 to 0.8998 and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) from 0.4375 to 0.7142.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConclusion\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results established the viability of PCEI for measuring cyber ethics in Iranian students. It deals with ethical issues and considerations concerning technology and online interactions, encompassing a wide range of topics such as Academic Integrity, Netiquette, Cyber Safety, Computer Ethics, Cyber Privacy, Cyber Security, and Cyber Protection to create a safe, inclusive, and ethical online environment.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Psychometrics of the Persian version of Cyber Ethics Instrument among virtual students of medical sciences universities, Iran","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-06-07 18:59:08","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4450553/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"080b55fe-fc3b-42d1-8173-01e209202f59","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 7th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-06-13T04:37:10+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-06-07 18:59:08","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4450553","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4450553","identity":"rs-4450553","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}