Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-1998

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Communication

Major Professor

Mariea Grubbs Hoy

Committee Members

Ronald Taylor, Niranjan Raman, Pratibha Dabholkar

Abstract

Technological advancements and individuals' privacy concerns have historically been intertwined. The growth of the Internet has created new privacy concerns. Previous studies proposed a two-dimensional framework to assess individuals' privacy concerns in traditional marketing contexts. This study examined whether this traditional framework also applies to on-line individuals' concerns with privacy and examines whether additional dimensions also influence privacy concerns. This study also investigated correlations between individuals' privacy concerns and on-line behaviors. Data were collected from a nationwide electronic mail (e-mail) survey of 889 on-line users. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) results found that increases in the clandestine nature of collection practices and usage of information beyond initial intended usage of the information caused increases in individuals' privacy concerns. These two dimensions comprise the traditional framework of privacy concern and partially explain privacy concerns on-line. The study found that two additional dimensions also influence privacy concern. Increases in sensitivity of information and decreases in individuals' familiarity with entities collecting information caused concerns with privacy to increase. Partial support was found for the prediction that an increase in compensation received by individuals also caused a decrease in privacy concerns. Therefore, a five-dimensional framework better explains privacy on-line. Increases in privacy concerns were shown to correlate with an increase in the frequency of individuals contacting Internet Service Providers about unsolicited e-mail, requesting removal of their names from mailing lists, and sending 'flames'. Increases in privacy concerns correlated with decreases in the frequency of individuals registering for web sites. When they did register, the frequency of individuals providing incomplete information increased as concerns with privacy increased . The framework is thus expanded further to provide a link between privacy concerns and on-line individuals' behaviors. These results have important implications for on-line advertisers and public policy makers. It describes the types of practices that individuals find invasive as well as suggests how individuals are likely to behave when confronted with such concerns. These results suggest that self-regulatory 'opt-out' policies, complemented by legislation prohibiting some of the more invasive practices, would best assuage individuals' concerns about on-line marketing and advertising practices and possibly encourage further participation in such activities.

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