Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted To what extent does the presence of anonymity contribute to the fluctuations observed in cyberbullying behaviours demonstrated by students in higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia?(University of Nottingham, 2024-04) Alamr, Badr; Chesney, Thomas; McKenzie, RobinRapid improvements in technology, particularly in the communications industry, have caused a major evolution in the way individuals make contact, socialise and interact with one another. Unquestionably, these improvements have also had negative impact. Social media has contributed to the world by allowing the transfer of social communication from the real world into the virtual world. It should be acknowledged that social media has a great deal of benefit for individuals. The ease of social media use has helped individuals to connect with wider audiences anytime and anywhere. However, advancements in and features of social media can also lead to harmful effects, such as cyberbullying, which is the focus of this research. Bullying is a social issue in the real world that has shifted into cyberspace under the name ‘cyberbullying’ . Previous research on cyberbullying has developed an understanding of such a problem, with some gaps that still need to be addressed. The overall research aim was to develop an understanding of cyberbullying causes in higher education students in Saudi Arabia. It should be taken into consideration that after this research started, universities moved their activities completely online because of Covid-19. This can motivate such research, as cyber-related work is likely to become increasingly important when working from home becomes the new normal. This research addresses three key gaps. First, the age gap is addressed, since the cyberbullying research field has focused intensively on younger age groups rather than university students. Second, the population gap is addressed, as very few cyberbullying studies have been conducted in the Saudi Arabian context. There are many social media users in the country, so this research aims to explore a new culture. Third, the research field gap is explored; previous cyberbullying studies have tended to overlook the factor of technology when exploring cyberbullying and lack a standardised theoretical approach with which to unify inconsistent results. To address these gaps, the social media cyberbullying model (SMCBM) developed by Lowry et al. (2016) was used. This model was modified based on Akers’ (2009) theory of social learning and social structure (SSSL). The original SSSL model was adopted from the criminology field, while the developed SMCBM model was contextualised to fit cyberspace, adding the information technology artefacts of anonymity and social structure. Testing such a model can contribute to the field of cyberbullying. This model was tested via a questionnaire sent to 414 Saudi university students, from University of Hail, who have been involved in cyberbullying. Moreover, to explain some results and obtain a profound understanding of particular parts of the questionnaire, it was followed by interviews with 10 students. Based on the questionnaire and interview findings, the results of this research support the SMCBM. Anonymity contributed to the social learning variables of cyberbullying through social media, thus encouraging the frequency of cyberbullying. There were notable findings related to the perception of the cost of cyberbullying, and the situational morality of cyberbullying, among the sample. As for the cost, the participants seemed to consider the consequences of cyberbullying, due to the religious background of the sample, as well as the enforcement of internet crime laws and cyberbullying campaigns by public authorities in Saudi Arabia. As a result, the sample demonstrated a stringent attitude towards cyberbullying, likely influenced by an increased awareness of its potential repercussions. As for the situational morality, in addition to conventional explanations such as revenge and attention-seeking, the research uncovered a different perspective, revealing a prevailing belief among participants that cyberbullying served a greater purpose in defending ethics, religion, and traditions, which reflects a nuanced situational morality among the respondents. The research results have some indications with regard to cyberbullying. Most importantly, some suggestions are provided for universities to minimise bullying in the online learning process.43 0Item Restricted Privacy in Question-Answering Systems(The University of Edinburgh, 2024) Alshamrani, Amirah; Wolters, MariaThere has been an ongoing debate concerning the impact of using real identities versus anonymity on the dynamics of online environments. Quora represents an interesting platform to study the interplay between identity and user behaviour, as a community question-answering system that combines strong identity and reputation mechanism with social aspects. In this thesis, I investigated how different forms of identity (real names, pseudonymity, and anonymity) affected posting behaviour using a mixed methods approach that emphasised the user perspective. The first two studies use pre-2021 data, when Quora still supported anonymous posting, while the final study uses data from 2023, after Quora eliminated anonymous posting and introduced pseudonymous profiles. The first part of my thesis focused on understanding disclosure in questions posted on Quora by examining the relationship between the use of the anonymity feature and posting behaviour regarding sensitive content. Building upon previous research, I focused on questions about anxiety disorders as a special case of sensitive content. Employing a content analysis methodology, I compared the language and content of posts from anonymous askers with those from known (non-anonymous) askers. I found that the main topics of concern were consistent across both groups; however, the level of personal disclosure, indicated by question framing, was associated with whether the askers were anonymous or known. I concluded that the anonymity feature on Quora allowed askers to seek adequate support for certain aspects of sensitive content. In the second part of my thesis, I broadened the scope of the investigation beyond sensitive content. Through an exploratory qualitative analysis of answers posted by Quora users, I established common reasons cited for posting anonymously on the platform. Findings highlighted how the aspect of reputation building associated with real identities could influence the use of the anonymity feature. Lastly, in the third part of the thesis, I investigated the effect of identity on posting decisions through a survey study, building on the qualitative insights from the prior analysis. Identity was operationalised as profile type (whether using real names or a pseudonym). Clear differences emerged in the overall posting tendencies among users with different profile types, motivating a post-hoc analysis to further understand their characteristics. I found that users with Quora-specific pseudonyms reported being less willing to post in general, whereas users with real names demonstrated the highest willingness to post. Moreover, through text answers, participants reflected on the nature of Quora as a social knowledge platform when providing reasons behind their views on anonymity. Qualitative analysis of text answers revealed insights into the nuances of posting behaviours. Those in favour emphasised its role in encouraging posting, particularly about sensitive and personal issues, while opponents raised issues of credibility. I found a difference in how anonymity is perceived as necessary for asking questions, due to privacy concerns, while it is less critical for answers, where credibility is considered more important.15 0