Use Public Wi-Fi? Fear Arouse and Avoidance Behavior
Chung‐Yean Chiang, Xiao Tang · Journal of Computer Information Systems · 2020
This study aims to study the internet security compliance behavior in a public Wi-Fi usage condition. We developed our research framework and hypotheses with the consideration of the protection motivation theory. Assembling questions from existing literature, we collected opinions from a group of college students who know and use public Wi-Fi. Using structural equation modeling, we examined the role of coping appraisal, threat appraisal, and fear to the avoidance behavior. Our findings are that fear is an important determinant to the user’s avoidance behavior and that coping appraisal is indirectly enhancing fear. Through this study, we provide support to use fear as a major control mechanism to the high-risk behavior in a less controlled environment. We also provided another perspective for how the fear is developed so that policy makers can have additional method to improve compliance behavior.