Hichang Cho

Optimistic bias about online privacy risks: Testing the moderating effects of perceived controllability and prior experience

This study examined the ways in which Internet users construct their risk judgments about online privacy. The results, based on telephone survey data from a national probability sample in Singapore (n=910), revealed that (a) individuals distinguish between two separate dimensions of risk judgment (personal level and societal level), (b) individuals display a strong optimistic bias about online privacy risks, judging themselves to be significantly less vulnerable than others to these risks, and (c) internal belief (perceived controllability) and individual difference (prior experience) significantly moderate optimistic bias by increasing or decreasing the gap between personal- and societal-level risk estimates. The implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed.

Influence of Gender on Internet Commerce: An Explorative Study in Singapore

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine how gender influences ones attitude towards online purchasing, and hence purchase intention among online consumers by focusing on three critical determinants-emotional expectations, trust, and self-efficacy. Results obtained from an online survey of 120 Singaporean consumers revealed that emotional expectations, trust, and self-efficacy significantly influenced ones attitude towards Internet commerce regardless of gender. However, females had significantly lower levels of trust and self-efficacy with regard to Internet commerce, and thereby had less favourable attitudes than male consumers. The study suggests that learning gender differences is critical for electronic retailers (e-tailers) to create more positive perceptions toward online purchases.

Flows of Relations and Communication among Singapore Political Bloggers and Organizations: The Networked Public Sphere Approach

Adopting Friedland, Hove, and Rojass (2006) concept of the networked public sphere, we set out to achieve two key objectives: identify the key players concerned with Singapore politics in the cyberspace and examine the nature of the social network comprising these players. In spite of Singapores recognized success in deploying information communication technologies for economic progress, the liberalizing effects of the Internet have been limited. Using a descriptive social network analysis approach, we explore the dynamics that are taking place online and argue for their implications on the evolving political discourse. The study reveals that political bloggers and political parties dominate the cyberspace, while issue-based advocacy groups and media agencies are relegated to less important positions. In addition, high levels of interactivity are observed among political bloggers. These findings are of significant relevance to countries where media systems are stringently regulated by the government, as they point to the existence of possible networking structures that may exist in the online world. There lies a potential for the creation of an alternative and viable sphere of discourse for individuals and marginalized groups to circumvent offline media regulations and disseminate their perspectives online.

Optimistic Bias About H1N1 Flu: Testing the Links Between Risk Communication, Optimistic Bias, and Self-Protection Behavior

Using two-wave panel survey data (N = 348) collected in South Korea in the context of H1N1 flu, we explored several important aspects of optimistic bias that have been relatively unexplored in previous research, including: (a) the extent to which risk communication and indirect risk experience affect changes in optimistic bias over time; (b) the utility of the concept of optimistic bias to predict subsequent risk behavior; and (c) how optimistic bias moderates the effect of risk communication and indirect risk experience on self-protection behavior. The findings revealed that optimistic bias is rather enduring and resilient, as it changed only under one condition (high indirect risk experience combined with low interpersonal communication). Optimistic bias had a nonsignificant association with self-protection behavior, but played an important moderating role by reducing the effect of interpersonal communication on self-protection behavior.

Mudslinging and Manners: Unpacking Conflict in Free and Open Source Software

As the nature of virtual work changes, so must our understanding of important processes such as conflict. The present study examines conflict in ongoing virtual teams by situating itself in the context of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) development. A series of semi-structured interviews with diverse representatives of the FOSS community highlight differences in the way conflict occurs. Specifically, a transformation of conflict types is observed together with a form of conflict previously unidentified in work on virtual teams. Findings suggest that the changing structure of ongoing virtual teams has important consequences for team processes like conflict.

Avatar-driven self-disclosure

The effect of avatar-self similarity on self-disclosure was examined.Self-awareness, self-presence, and identifiability are mediators.Avatar similarity increases self-disclosure via self-awareness and self-presence.Avatar similarity decreases self-disclosure via identifiability. Considering the importance of self-disclosure in building relationships and bonds, it is vital to investigate how self-disclosure is affected by avatars utilized in many online communities. In this study, we tested a research model that explores how perceived avatar-self similarity affects self-disclosure via different theoretical constructs such as self-awareness, self-presence, and identifiability. The research model was empirically tested with data from a web-based survey of 209 Second Life users. Results revealed that avatar similarity impacts self-disclosure but with varying effects, depending on how it is mediated by variables of identifiability, self-awareness and self-presence. Specifically, appearance similarity affects homophily, which heightens self-awareness. This results in increased feelings of self-presence, which positively affects self-disclosure. Homophily also has the effect of heightening perceptions of identifiability, which decreases self-disclosure. Implications and applications are discussed.

Testing the moderating role of need for cognition in smartphone adoption

While numerous studies have identified various cognitive and social factors affecting the adoption of new technologies and innovations, the role of individual differences has not yet received full research attention. In this study, we focused on the need for cognition (NFC; Cacioppo, J.T. and Petty, R.E., 1982. The need for cognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 116–131) and examined the implications of this personality variable relative to smartphone use. The results based on the survey data (N=411) provided support for our hypotheses that NFC is an important motivational personality construct that distinguishes between adopters and non-adopters of smartphones. We also found that NFC moderates the linkages between instrumental beliefs, social influence factors, and behavioural intentions (BI). Specifically, perceived usefulness had a stronger effect on BI for high-NFC people, whereas perceived ease of use and subjective norms had stronger effects for low-NFC people. The findings reveal possible important variations in technology adoption and the role of NFC in governing these alternative decision-making processes. Implications for theory, product design, as well as for managers are discussed.

The Virtual "Me" is the Actual Me: Self-Disclosure in Virtual Environment

Considering the importance of self-disclosure in building relationships and bonds, it is vital to investigate how self-disclosure is affected by avatars utilized in many online communities. In this study, we tested a research model that explores how perceived avatar-self similarity affects self-disclosure via different theoretical constructs such as self-awareness, self-presence and identifiability. The research model was empirically tested with data from a web-based survey of 196 Second Life users. Results revealed that avatar similarity impacts self-disclosure but with varying effects, depending on how it is mediated by variables of identifiability, self-awareness and self-presence. Specifically, appearance similarity affects homophily, which leads to heightened self-awareness. This results in increased feelings of self-presence, which positively affects self-disclosure. Homophily also has the effect of heightening perceptions of identifiability, which decreases self-disclosure. Implications and applications are discussed.

Being immersed: avatar similarity and self-awareness

Online games and virtual worlds provide hours of entertainment for users and billions in revenue for game companies. It is therefore significant to investigate the factors that affect immersion so that virtual environments can be tailored to provide an immersive experience. This study explored mechanisms underlying the relationship between avatar similarity and immersion. Specifically, we examined the effects of avatar appearance similarity, homophily and private self-awareness on immersion. Data from 196 users of Second Life were collected through a web-based survey. The results revealed an important role of self-awareness in mediating the effect of avatar similarity on immersion. More specifically, appearance similarity was found to affect homophily, which heightened self-awareness. Self-awareness, in turn, influenced immersion. Implications for research and practical applications are discussed.

Collective Privacy Management in Social Media: A Cross-Cultural Validation

If one wants to study privacy from an intercultural perspective, one must first validate whether there are any cultural variations in the concept of “privacy” itself. This study systematically examines cultural differences in collective privacy management strategies, and highlights methodological precautions that must be taken in quantitative intercultural privacy research. Using survey data of 498 Facebook users from the US, Singapore, and South Korea, we test the validity and cultural invariance of the measurement model and predictive model associated with collective privacy management. The results show that the measurement model is only partially culturally invariant, indicating that social media users in different countries interpret the same instruments in different ways. Also, cross-national comparisons of the structural model show that causal pathways from collective privacy management strategies to privacy-related outcomes vary significantly across countries. The findings suggest significant cultural variations in privacy management practices, both with regard to the conceptualization of its theoretical constructs, and with respect to causal pathways.