Effects of planning and action control on smartphone security behavior
Smartphone users are often said to be the weakest link in information security. They often install apps from unknown sources, connect to open WIFI in public places, and check and open dangerous email attachments on their phones. The current study aims to uncover psychological mechanisms that may be responsible for individual differences in smartphone security behavior, theoretically based on the health action process approach (HAPA).In a longitudinal survey, 192 students in the age range from 18 to 47 years (141 of them women) completed psychometric assessments at baseline and two weeks later. Intention, planning, action control, and smartphone security behaviors were measured along with socio-demographic information.The path analysis revealed that planning and action control mediated sequentially the relationship between intention and smartphone security behavior. The model accounted for 52.30% of the variance in smartphone security behavior.The result supported the theoretical assumptions of the HAPA, with a focus on the mediation by planning and action control. Interventions that focus on such factors might help improve compliance with recommendations for smartphone security behavior.
