Order of Control and Perceived Control over Personal Information

TL;DR

This paper explores how the concept of the Order of Control influences individuals' perceptions and decisions about disclosing personal information, combining literature review and an online study.

Contribution

It introduces the application of the Order of Control theory to understand perceptions of control over personal information in online privacy contexts.

Findings

Order of Control helps explain privacy decision-making

Preliminary online study shows correlation between perceived control and disclosure

Literature review supports the relevance of control theory in privacy research

Abstract

Focusing on personal information disclosure, we apply control theory and the notion of the Order of Control to study people's understanding of the implications of information disclosure and their tendency to consent to disclosure. We analyzed the relevant literature and conducted a preliminary online study (N = 220) to explore the relationship between the Order of Control and perceived control over personal information. Our analysis of existing research suggests that the notion of the Order of Control can help us understand people's decisions regarding the control over their personal information. We discuss limitations and future directions for research regarding the application of the idea of the Order of Control to online privacy.