The contextual and environmental antecedents of privacy risk perception and its heterogeneous effects on user behaviors

Purpose – This study aims to construct a dual-route model based on privacy calculus and Elaboration Likelihood Model to explore the factors affecting privacy risk perception and user behavior on social media, as well as to understand how individual differences in cognitive needs impact attitude formation and decision-making process. Design/methodology/approach – This study gathers 500 valid responses from active social media users, ensuring our findings reflect the target population. Using structural equation modeling for data analysis, this study identifies that privacy risk perceptions are shaped by both central (privacy context) and peripheral (environmental cues) factors. Findings – The findings reveal that individuals with higher cognitive motivation engage in more deliberate privacy risk evaluations. User engagement behaviors are affected by both rational (perceived privacy risks) and intuitive (perceived benefits) routes. Notably, perceived benefits impact user behavior, in contrast to privacy risk perceptions. Cognitive motivation is a key moderator that determines the extent to which users rely on rational versus intuitive routes in their decision-making processes. Originality/value – The contribution of this study lies in its integrative approach, which combines insights from the privacy calculus and Elaboration Likelihood Model with a focus on cognitive motivation as a moderator. This study offers empirical evidence to support the extended privacy calculus model, inform the design of privacy policies, and provide guidance for social media users to navigate privacy concerns effectively.