Influencing factors of information security behavior among college students based on protection motivation theory: evidence from China

Meng Han^1,2Haocun Zhao³Xiaohui Ma⁴Ruyi Shi^3*

• ¹China University of Mining and Technology School of Economics and Management, Xuzhou, China
• ²Xuzhou Vocational Technology Academy of Finance & Economics, Jiangsu Union Technical Institute, xuzhou, China
• ³School of Public Policy and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China
• ⁴BYD Auto Industry Company Limited, Shenzhen, China

Abstract Introduction: With the advent of the information economy era, incidents of personal data breaches have occurred frequently, and the issue of personal information protection has become increasingly prominent. As primary users of Internet services, college students have seen their information security behavior emerge as a focal point of both academic inquiry and public concern. Investigating the factors influencing these behaviors holds substantial significance for enhancing the quality of university-based information security education and advancing the development of safe campus ecosystems. Methods: Based on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), this study constructed hypotheses about influencing factors of information security behavior among college students. Drawing on urban distribution across China, 23 cities were selected for data collection, with college students as the target population. A total of 3,030 valid questionnaires were ultimately retained. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 26.0, including reliability tests, validity tests and regression analysis, to systematically explore the relationship between information security behavior and threat appraisal (perceived threat) as well as coping appraisal (self-efficacy, response efficacy and response cost). Results: Empirical analysis indicates that perceived threat, self-efficacy, and response efficacy exert a significant positive effect on college students' information security behavior, among which response efficacy demonstrates the strongest positive impact. Conversely, response cost shows a significant negative impact on college students' information security behavior. Discussion: These findings not only help enrich the knowledge system in the field of information security, but also provides practical insights for strengthening the campus information security environments. Furthermore, they provide actionable insights for policymakers tasked with addressing issues in information security behavior.