Benefits of formalized computational modeling for understanding user behavior in online privacy research

Abstract

PurposeOnline privacy research has seen a focus on user behavior over the last decade, partly to understand and explain user decision-making and seeming inconsistencies regarding users' stated preferences. This article investigates the level of modeling that contemporary approaches rely on to explain said inconsistencies and whether drawn conclusions are justified by the applied modeling methodology. Additionally, it provides resources for researchers interested in using computational modeling.Design/methodology/approachThe article uses data from a pre-existing literature review on the privacy paradox (N = 179 articles) to identify three characteristics of prior research: (1) the frequency of references to computational-level theories of human decision-making and perception in the literature, (2) the frequency of interpretations of human decision-making based on computational-level theories, and (3) the frequency of actual computational-level modeling implementations.FindingsAfter excluding unrelated articles, 44.1 percent of investigated articles reference at least one theory that has been traditionally interpreted on a computational level. 33.1 percent of all relevant articles make statements regarding computational properties of human cognition in online privacy scenarios. Meanwhile, 5.1 percent of all relevant articles apply formalized computational-level modeling to substantiate their claims.Originality/valueThe findings highlight the importance of formal, computational-level modeling in online privacy research, which has so far drawn computational-level conclusions without utilizing appropriate modeling techniques. Furthermore, this article provides an overview of said modeling techniques and their benefits to researchers, as well as references for model theories and resources for practical implementation.