Exploring the relationship between impulsivity and decision-making on mobile devices

Jeske, Debora; Briggs, Pam; Coventry, Lynne

Abstract

Mobile devices offer a common platform for both leisure and work-related tasks but this has resulted in a blurred boundary between home and work. In this paper we explore the security implications of this blurred boundary, both for the worker and the employer. Mobile workers may not always make optimum security-related choices when ‘on the go’ and more impulsive individuals may be particularly affected as they are considered more vulnerable to distraction. In this study we used a task scenario, in which 104 users were asked to choose a wireless network when responding to work demands while out of the office. Eye-tracking data was obtained from a subsample of 40 of these participants in order to explore the effects of impulsivity on attention. Our results suggest that impulsive people are more frequent users of public devices and networks in their day-to-day interactions and are more likely to access their social networks on a regular basis. However they are also likely to make risky decisions when working on-the-go, processing fewer features before making those decisions. These results suggest that those with high impulsivity may make more use of the mobile Internet options for both work and private purposes but they also show attentional behavior patterns that suggest they make less considered security-sensitive decisions. The findings are discussed in terms of designs that might support enhanced deliberation, both in the moment and also in relation to longer term behaviors that would contribute to a better work-life balance.

Citation

Jeske, D., Briggs, P., & Coventry, L. (2016). Exploring the relationship between impulsivity and decision-making on mobile devices. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 20(4), 545-557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-016-0938-4

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 12, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jul 1, 2016
• Publication Date: 2016-08
• Deposit Date: Feb 12, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: May 17, 2018
• Journal: Personal and Ubiquitous Computing
• Print ISSN: 1617-4909
• Electronic ISSN: 1617-4917
• Publisher: BMC
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 545-557
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-016-0938-4
• Keywords: Management Science and Operations Research; Hardware and Architecture; Computer Science Applications
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/9532
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00779-016-0938-4