Is Media Multitasking Good for Cybersecurity? Exploring the relationship between media multitasking and everyday cognitive failures on self-reported risky cybersecurity behaviours

Date

2018-03

Advisors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

ISSN

2152-2715

Volume Title

Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert Inc

Type

Article

Peer reviewed

Abstract

The current study focused on how engaging in media multitasking (MMT) and the experience of everyday cognitive failures impact on the individual’s engagement in risky cybersecurity behaviors (RCsB). In total, 144 participants (32 males, 112 females) completed an online survey. The age range for participants was 18 to 43 years (M=20.63, SD=4.04). Participants completed three scales which included an inventory of weekly MMT, a measure of everyday cognitive failures, and RCsB. There was a significant difference between high mediamultitaskers (HMM), average media multitaskers (AMM), and light media multitaskers (LMM) in terms of RCsB, with HMM demonstrating more frequent risky behaviors than LMM or AMM. The HMM group also reported more cognitive failures in everyday life than the LMM group. A regression analysis showed that everyday cognitive failures and MMT acted as significant predictors for RCsB. These results expand our current understanding of the relationship between human factors and cybersecurity behaviors, which are useful to inform the design of training and intervention packages to mitigate RCsB.

Description

Keywords

Human factors in Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity, Risky Cybersecurity Behaviours, Media Multitasking

Citation

Hadlington, L., and Murphy, K. (2018). Is Media Multitasking Good for Cybersecurity ? and Everyday Cognitive Failures on Self-Reported. CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 21(3), 168–172.

Rights

Research Institute