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A study of the effect of social trust, trust in social networking services, and sharing attitude, on two dimensions of personal information sharing behavior

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Abstract

Although social networking services (SNS) are among the most important means of sharing and communication in today’s virtual world, little work has been done to explain the personal information-sharing behavior of SNS users in detail. This study tries to investigate the dimensions of personal information-sharing behavior of SNS users and to find important factors affecting their sharing behavior. In terms of the width and depth of sharing personal information, we distinguish two important dimensions of personal information-sharing behavior—i.e., sharing regularity and sharing density. As a width dimension of sharing behavior, sharing regularity refers to the frequency of sharing personal information with other SNS users, and as a depth dimension of sharing behavior, sharing density deals with the degree of personal information sharing with others. Using a theoretical lens from the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), we propose a research model of the two dimensions of personal information-sharing behavior, which also includes attitude toward sharing, social trust, and trust in a social networking service. The study finds that social trust and trust in the SNS have a significant effect on SNS users’ attitude toward sharing, which in turn strongly influences the two dimensions of personal information-sharing behavior. The implications of the study for research and practice will be discussed with future directions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Information Systems, College of Business Administration, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA, 91768, USA

    Mohammad Salehan

  2. Information Technology and Decision Sciences, College of Business, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305249, Denton, TX, 76203-5249, USA

    Dan J. Kim

  3. College of Hotel and Tourism Management, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyunghee-daro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea

    Dan J. Kim & Chulmo Koo

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  1. Mohammad Salehan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dan J. Kim.

Appendix: Measurement instrument

Appendix: Measurement instrument

ATS1\(^{\mathrm{a}}\)

Sharing stuff (pictures, videos, opinions) with other SNS members is good

ATS2

Sharing stuff (pictures, videos, opinions) with other SNS members is important

ATS3\(^{\mathrm{a}}\)

Sharing stuff (pictures, videos, opinions) with other SNS members is an enjoyable experience

ATS4

Sharing stuff (pictures, videos, opinions) with other SNS members is valuable

ATS5

Sharing stuff (pictures, videos, opinions) with other SNS members is a wise move

SD1

I have my personal information (such as real name, email, cell phone number, photo, current town, sexual orientation) on my SNS

SD2

I have shared stuff (pictures, videos, opinions) with my friends, family, and colleagues through my SNS

SD3

I have shared my ideas, opinions, and recommendations through my SNS

SN1

My family thinks that I should share stuff (pictures, etc.) on my SNS

SN2\(^{\mathrm{a}}\)

My close friends think that I should share stuff (pictures, etc.) on my SNS

SN3

My classmates or colleagues think I should share stuff (pictures, etc.) on my SNS

SN4\(^{\mathrm{a}}\)

In general, I try to follow my family’s expectations

SN5

In general, I accept and carry out my friends’ expectations

SN6

In general, I respect and put in practice my classmates’ and colleagues’ expectations

ST1

In general, people can be trusted

ST2\(^{\mathrm{a}}\), \(^{\mathrm{b}}\)

I think that people try to take advantage of me if they get the chance

ST3

People try to be fair

ST4

People try to be helpful

ST5\(^{\mathrm{a}}\), \(^{\mathrm{b}}\)

People are just looking out for themselves

ST6\(^{\mathrm{a}}\)

In general, my SNS friends can be trusted

ST7\(^{\mathrm{a}}\), \(^{\mathrm{b}}\)

My SNS friends would try to take advantage of me if they got the chance

ST8

My SNS friends try to be fair

ST9\(^{\mathrm{a}}\)

My SNS friends try to be helpful

ST10\(^{\mathrm{a}}\), \(^{\mathrm{b}}\)

My SNS friends are just looking out for themselves

TS1

My SNS is a trustworthy social network

TS2

I can count on my SNS to protect my privacy

TS3

I can count on my SNS to protect my personal information from unauthorized use

TS4

My SNS can be relied on to keep its promises

SR1

How often do you login to your SNS?

SR2

How often do you share stuff (pictures, videos, opinions)?

SR3\(^{\mathrm{a}}\)

On average, how much time do you spend on each visit?

  1. \(^{\mathrm{a}}\) Item was dropped in the final analysis,
  2. \(^{\mathrm{b}}\) Reverse-coded questions

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Salehan, M., Kim, D.J. & Koo, C. A study of the effect of social trust, trust in social networking services, and sharing attitude, on two dimensions of personal information sharing behavior. J Supercomput 74, 3596–3619 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11227-016-1790-z

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