Coping Information Affects Older and Young Adults’ Security Update Decisions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13659114 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joseph D W Stephens (0000-0002-7409-7541, Xavier University, corresponding author), Amy A Overman (0000-0003-4778-6779, Xavier University), Mohd Anwar (0000-0002-2653-7987, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University), Marcel Goldberg (0000-0002-6161-5880, Elon University), Paige L Goldberg (Elon University), Angela Marie F Mejia (Elon University), Alejandro Mejia (Elon University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 332941251393616-332941251393616 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-10 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychological Reports (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-2941 • E-ISSN: 1558-691X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00332941251393616 |
| PMID | 41208720 |
| OpenAlex | W4416067371 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 30 |
Software updating is a critical cybersecurity measure that often depends on decision making by end users on whether to apply, delay, or ignore updates when available. Little is known about how aging may interact with cognitive factors and cybersecurity attitudes to affect software update decisions in older versus younger adults. The present study used an online experiment ( N = 120) to compare older and younger adults' responses to hypothetical software update scenarios that varied in cognitive load, threat information, and coping information, along with measurements of cybersecurity-related attitudes. Across both age groups, coping-related information was more effective than threat information at yielding adaptive responses to software update decisions. Additionally, among older adults, the OSBBQ was associated with more adaptive responses, suggesting that it has practical utility in assessing older adults' cybersecurity behaviors. The results have implications for future research and promotion of safe cybersecurity practices among younger and older adults
Affect (linguistics · Cognition · Cognitive aging · Coping (psychology · Promotion (chess · Personal Information Management and User Behavior · Software · Technology Use by Older Adults · Usability and User Interface Design
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| Highly cited | No |
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