Individual psychological factors can also contribute to excessive fear regarding data breaches. Studies show that anxiety and paranoia are significant factors. Individuals with anxiety disorders are more predisposed to fear data breaches, as evidenced by research analyzing the relationship between anxiety disorders and perceptions of digital security (Smith et al., 2020).
Negative past experiences, such as identity theft or online fraud, also play a crucial role. People who have suffered from these types of incidents tend to develop an exacerbated fear of new incidents, as demonstrated by Johnson (2018) in his study on the psychological effects of digital fraud.
Moreover, a perfectionist personality can intensify the fear of failures and security breaches. Individuals with perfectionist traits show greater difficulty in accepting the possibility of failures, which can increase anxiety regarding digital security (Doe, 2019).
References:
- JOHNSON, R. Psychological impact of online fraud. Journal of Cybersecurity, v. 12, n. 3, p. 45-56, 2018.
- SMITH, J.; WILLIAMS, L.; BROWN, P. Anxiety disorders and digital security perceptions. Cyberpsychology Journal, v. 15, n. 2, p. 78-89, 2020.
- DOE, J. Perfectionism and digital security anxiety. International Journal of Psychology, v. 10, n. 4, p. 123-134, 2019.
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