Workplace norms in computer science have received growing attention due to a series of recent ethical scandals. One type of response has been a push to improve the ethics education provided to computer science students. Evidence for the effectiveness of ethics education remains mixed; some evidence suggests that norms are changing, while gaps between stated values and practice remain. Our focus here is on whether students, who have received some contemporary CS ethics education, are able to effectively apply ethical reasoning to their own decision-making in what is typically the first significant ethical decision of their careers: their job search. Our study examines the ethical decision making of 129 computer science students and recent graduates during their job searches. We find that most students prioritize factors like compensation, location, and workplace culture over ethical and social issues. Even when expressing ethical concerns, respondents often justify taking actions contradicting their moral views through commonly-shared explanations such as desire to make money or the perceived inability to avoid unethical workplaces. This work sheds light on the disconnect between ethics education and real-world CS graduate decision making. We offer insights for evolving curricula to better address practical ethical dilemmas, with implications for educators and industry.

翻译：计算机科学领域的工作场所规范因近年来一系列伦理丑闻而日益受到关注。一种应对措施是推动改进面向计算机科学学生的伦理教育。然而，伦理教育有效性的证据依然喜忧参半：部分证据表明规范正在发生变化，但口头宣扬的价值观与实际行为之间仍存在差距。本研究聚焦于那些接受过当代计算机科学伦理教育的学生，能否在他们职业生涯中首个重大伦理决策——求职过程中，有效地将伦理推理应用于自身决策。我们调查了129名计算机科学专业学生及应届毕业生在求职期间的伦理决策过程。研究发现，大多数学生优先考虑薪酬、地理位置和工作场所文化等因素，而非伦理与社会议题。即便表达出伦理关切，受访者通常仍会以赚钱的愿望或认为无法避开不道德工作环境等普遍认同的理由，来为违背自身道德观念的行为进行辩解。本研究揭示了伦理教育与计算机科学专业毕业生现实决策脱节的现象。我们为改进课程体系以更好地应对实际伦理困境提供了见解，对教育工作者和行业具有启示意义。