Illegal Music Downloading among college studentsA Qualitative, Quantitative and Experimental Study

By Brian Sheehan, James Tsao, Ed RussellSyracuse University, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

What We DidQualitative Study: Summer 2008

Four focus groups at Syracuse University

15 individual interviews

Data analyzed: Scissors and Sort Technique

Cognitive map development

What we didQuantitative Study: Winter 2009

• 204 surveys at Syracuse University

• 153 samples analyzed

• Multiple regression analysis

Findings

MotivationsPrimary Motivations: Economic, Collection, Social

Surprising order of gratifications contribution: Social, Collection, Economic

Would looking at it from a fundamentally social POV change communications approaches?

Costs and Reinforcements

Costs: Search costs and Technical costs (i.e., viruses) statistically related. Legal costs (e.g., fines) not.

Reinforcements: Optimistic bias, Anti-industry/Musician bias, Social acceptance and Moral conscience all statistically related.

Social acceptance skews Moral conscience.

ModelReinforcements

Moral Conscience (-)**

Anti musicians (-)**

Social Acceptance (+)**

Optimistic Bias (+)**

Perceived Costs

Search (+) *

Legal (-) (ns)

Technical (+) *

Motivations

Social (+)**

Collection (+)**

Economic (+)*

Gratifications

of

Digital

Music

Piracy

Promising Communications Areas

Individual messages that have emotional social aspects

Future Dreams

Embarrassment

Reputation

The power of one (song)

Phase IIICommunications Concept Testing

Controls: Prosecution/Feel Lucky, Virus, Hurt artists

New: Your future/Your dreams, The band you love/that song (Inconvenient Truth), Social virus, Your reputation

Hybrid: Stealing Embarrassment

ExperimentationExperimental groups

Control group

Time frameExperiment: Fall 2009

Data analysis: Winter 2009-Spring 2010

Report: March 2010

Collaboration

Teachingo Advertising campaign to be developed by Newhouse students.

Collaborationo Continued collaboration with RIAAo Involvement with/introduction to Joint Committee of the Higher Education and Entertainment Communities Technology Task Force?

Outreacho Co-sponsor national conference/symposium in Syracuse University focusing on music digital piracy issues

Proposed Budget