Testing a Model of Users' Web Risk Information Seeking Intention

Lixuan Zhang, Robert Pavur, Paul York, Clinton Amos
2013 Informing Science  
This study aims to understand the web risk information seeking intention of end users. Applying the risk information seeking and processing model (RISP), this paper examines end users' web risk information seeking intention. Hypotheses are proposed concerning the intention to seek information about one emerging web risk: cross site scripting. Data were collected from 201 college students in the southern United States. The results suggest that information insufficiency, informational subjective
more » ... orm, and affective response are positively related to web risk information seeking intention. In addition, informational subjective norm and negative affect are positively related to information insufficiency. Negative affect is determined by perceived vulnerability and perceived severity of the web risk. The study proves RISP to be an adequate model to use in the web risk context and provides an enriched understanding about users' intention to seek web risk information. H6: Perceived information gathering capacity is positively related to web risk information seeking intention. Perceived Hazard Characteristics RISP posits that the perceived hazard characteristics have multiple components. This study will focus on two components: perceived severity of the threat and perceived vulnerability of the threat. Perceived severity assesses how severe a person believes a threat will be to his or her life. Johnson, B. B. (2005). Testing and expanding a model of cognitive processing of risk information. Abstract YouTube is a social media venue with great potential as a health education-informing channel. Health educators and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2011) recognize that YouTube enjoys a high level of engagement and comfort among young users. This enhances its educational value for this vulnerable population, who already account for half of the new sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) diagnosed annually. It is imperative to reach these users with information about safe sex and sexual risk prevention. In this work, 18-24 year old undergraduates were pre-tested, and half of the participants viewed an entertaining YouTube safe sex education video while the other half viewed a factual YouTube safe sex education video. Posttests on both groups confirmed YouTube's significant value as a health education-informing channel that fosters knowledge acquisition and provokes healthy future behavior change. This study clarifies user preferences for health education messaging on YouTube, and confirms You-Tube's substantial educational utility, while guiding health educators' effective use of this health education-informing channel.
doi:10.28945/1761 fatcat:62fbqagwmbekrm67x7jgf2ighq