An Examination of Gain- and Loss-Framed Messaging on Smart Home Security Training Programs

Miloslava Plachkinova () and Philip Menard ()
Additional contact information
Miloslava Plachkinova: University of Tampa
Philip Menard: University of Texas at San Antonio

Information Systems Frontiers, 2022, vol. 24, issue 5, No 2, 1395-1416

Abstract: Abstract The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained popularity among home consumers due to its characteristics related to automation, information gathering, and purported physical security benefits. In an effort to capitalize on an expanding market, IoT developers have rushed products to market without proper due diligence regarding device cybersecurity. By being more focused on the utility and convenience of IoT devices without being concerned about their devices’ inherent security flaws, consumers may be unwittingly putting themselves at risk. Gain- and loss-framed messaging has been an extensively studied form of persuasive communication in other research fields but has not been previously examined in the context of information security research. Using an experimental design, we assess the efficacy of applying gain- and loss-framed principles to a security education training and awareness (SETA) program designed to bolster IoT users’ concerns related to pertinent IoT-based threats and provide information about their corresponding countermeasures. We found that for consumers with low initial IoT security concerns, loss-framed messaging is more effective in increasing security concerns. For consumers with higher initial concerns, messages focusing on desirable outcomes, regardless of an overall gain- or loss-framed message valence, are effective at increasing IoT security concerns.

Keywords: Smart home; Security; Training; SETA programs; Message framing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10796-019-09970-6 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:infosf:v:24:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s10796-019-09970-6

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/journal/10796

DOI: 10.1007/s10796-019-09970-6

Access Statistics for this article

Information Systems Frontiers is currently edited by Ram Ramesh and Raghav Rao

More articles in Information Systems Frontiers from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().