TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ……………………………………………………………………………………. iv
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ………………………………………………………………………………. viii
LIST OF TABLES ………………………………………………………………………………………………. ix
SECTION
1. INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………………………….1
2. LITERATURE REVIEW ……………………………………………………………………………..3
2.1. USERS’ BEHAVIOR IN CYBERSECURITY …………………………………………3
2.2. LITERATURE REVIEW ON MESSAGE FRAMING ……………………………..4
2.3. LITERATURE REVIEW ON PRIMING …………………………………………………5
3. THEORETICAL FOUNDATION AND HYPOTHESES …………………………………8
3.1. PROSPECT THEORY…………………………………………………………………………..8
3.2. INSTANCE-BASED LEARNING THEORY …………………………………………10
4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY …………………………………………………………………12
4.1. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN ………………………………………………………………..12
4.2. RESEARCH PROCEDURES ……………………………………………………………….12
4.3. MEASUREMENT ………………………………………………………………………………14
4.3.1. Confidence With Action ……………………………………………………………..14
4.3.2. Perceived Severity ……………………………………………………………………..15
4.3.3. Perceived Susceptibility ………………………………………………………………15
4.3.4. Trust …………………………………………………………………………………………16
4.3.5. Fear ………………………………………………………………………………………….16
4.3.6. Framing Manipulation Check ………………………………………………………17
4.3.7. Priming Manipulation Check ……………………………………………………….17
4.3.8. Subject Background Questionnaire ………………………………………………18
4.4. PILOT TESTS ……………………………………………………………………………………18
5. DATA ANALYSIS ……………………………………………………………………………………19
5.1. MANIPULATION CHECK ANALYSIS……………………………………………….21
5.2. MEASUREMENT VALIDATION ……………………………………………………….21
5.3. BINARY LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSIS………………………………….24
5.3.1. Framing …………………………………………………………………………………….25
5.3.2. Priming …………………………………………………………………………………….25
5.4. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE ……………………………………26
5.4.1. Confidence With Action ……………………………………………………………..28
5.4.2. Perceived Severity ……………………………………………………………………..29
5.4.3. Perceived Susceptibility ………………………………………………………………29
5.4.4. Trust …………………………………………………………………………………………29
5.4.5. Fear ………………………………………………………………………………………….30
6. DISCUSSIONS………………………………………………………………………………………….31
7. LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH ………………………………………………32
8. CONCLUSIONS ……………………………………………………………………………………….33
APPENDICES
A. SCENARIO DETAILS ………………………………………………………………………………34
B. EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS FOR 3X2 FACTORIAL DESIGN …………….36
C. SUBJECT BACKGROUND QUESTIONNAIRE …………………………………………43
D. CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS QUESTIONNAIRE ………………………………45
E. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW …………………………………………………..47
BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………………………………………………..52
VITA ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….56