Unlocking the Privacy Paradox: Do Cognitive Heuristics Hold the Key?

S. Shyam Sundar, Hyunjin Kang, Bo Zhang, Eun Go, Mu Wu

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

58 Scopus citations

Abstract

Even though users have become increasingly concerned about their privacy online, they continue to disclose deeply personal information in a number of online venues, including e-commerce portals and social networking sites. Scholars have tried to explain this inconsistency between attitudes and behavior by suggesting that online users consciously weigh the trade-off between the costs and benefits of online information disclosure. We argue that online user behaviors are not always rational, but may occur due to expedient decision-making in the heat of the moment. Such decisions are based on cognitive heuristics (i.e., rules of thumb) rather than on a careful analysis of each transaction. Based on this premise, we seek to identify the specific triggers for disclosure of private information online. In the experiment reported here, we explore the operation of two specific heuristics—benefit and fuzzy boundary—in influencing privacy-related attitudes and behaviors. Theoretical and design implications are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationCHI EA 2013 - Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Subtitle of host publicationChanging Perspectives
EditorsMichel Beaudouin-Lafon, Patrick Baudisch, Wendy E. Mackay
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
Pages811-816
Number of pages6
ISBN (Electronic)9781450318990
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 27 2013
Event31st Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems:, CHI EA 2013 - Paris, France
Duration: Apr 27 2013May 2 2013

Publication series

NameConference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings
Volume2013-April

Other

Other31st Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems:, CHI EA 2013
Country/TerritoryFrance
CityParis
Period4/27/135/2/13

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Software
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Unlocking the Privacy Paradox: Do Cognitive Heuristics Hold the Key?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this