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A Meta-Analysis of Studies on Protection Motivation Theory and Information Security Behaviour

Author

Listed:
  • Teodor Sommestad

    (Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), Linköping, Sweden)

  • Henrik Karlzén

    (Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), Linköping, Sweden)

  • Jonas Hallberg

    (Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), Linköping, Sweden)

Abstract

Individuals' willingness to take security precautions is imperative to their own information security and the information security of the organizations they work within. This paper presents a meta-analysis of the protection motivation theory (PMT) to assess how its efficacy is influenced by the information security behavior it is applied to. It investigates if the PMT explains information security behavior better if: 1) The behavior is voluntary? 2) The threat and coping method is concrete or specific? 3) The information security threat is directed to the person itself? Synthesized data from 28 surveys suggests that the answers to all three questions are yes. Weighted mean correlation coefficients are on average 0.03 higher for voluntary behavior than mandatory behavior, 0.05 higher for specific behaviors than studies of general behaviors, 0.08 higher to threat appraisal when the threat targets the individual person instead of the person's organization or someone else.

Suggested Citation

  • Teodor Sommestad & Henrik Karlzén & Jonas Hallberg, 2015. "A Meta-Analysis of Studies on Protection Motivation Theory and Information Security Behaviour," International Journal of Information Security and Privacy (IJISP), IGI Global, vol. 9(1), pages 26-46, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:igg:jisp00:v:9:y:2015:i:1:p:26-46
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Simon Trang & Benedikt Brendel, 2019. "A Meta-Analysis of Deterrence Theory in Information Security Policy Compliance Research," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 1265-1284, December.
    2. Hussin J. Hejase & Hasan F. Fayyad-Kazan & Ale J. Hejase & Imad A. Moukadem, 2021. "Cyber Security amid COVID-19," Computer and Information Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 14(2), pages 1-10, May.
    3. Rodríguez-Priego, Nuria & Porcu, Lucia & Kitchen, Philip J., 2022. "Sharing but caring: Location based mobile applications (LBMA) and privacy protection motivation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 546-555.
    4. Samiha Hamdi Sayed & Mohammed Al-Mohaithef & Wafaa Taha Elgzar, 2022. "Effect of Digital-Based Self-Learned Educational Intervention about COVID-19 Using Protection Motivation Theory on Non-Health Students’ Knowledge and Self-Protective Behaviors at Saudi Electronic Univ," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-15, November.

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