Analysis of Decision Logic in Reporting Behavior from the Perspective of Internet

Abstract

The Internet, as one of the most important channels for citizens to obtain and publish information, has an increasing influence on citizens’ whistle-blowing decisions. An in-depth analysis of the impact of the Internet on potential reporters can not only clarify the mechanism of network information on individual decision-making, but also provide a better suggestion for improving China’s network supervision policy. [Method/Process] Based on cost-benefit analysis and Prospect Theory, this research analyzes the impact mechanism of Internet on the ethical judgment, utility evaluation and probability expectation of citizen reporting decision-making process. [Results/Conclusions] The impact of the Internet on reporting decisions mainly includes three stages: the potential whistleblower’s expectation of positive response to netizens strengthens their own cognition of social citizenship, thereby breaking the ethical barriers to loyalty judgments; the anonymous mechanism reduces the potential whistleblower’s estimate of the risk cost; and the rendering effect of online news increases the expectations of potential whistleblowers for the probability of reporting success.