Cybercognition as Emerging Determinant in Protection Motivation Theory: Toward Explaining Secure Intention Behaviour in Online Gaming among Adolescents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32890/jict2026.25.2.6Keywords:
Behavioural addiction, cyber threat, online game addiction, Protection Motivation Theory, secure intention behaviourAbstract
The increasing prevalence of online gaming among adolescents has heightened the need to understand the psychological factors that influence secure online behaviour. Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) is limited in its ability to explain technology-related behaviours because it primarily focuses on conscious, rational decision-making driven by threat and coping appraisals. While PMT is widely used to explain individuals’ protective intentions, emerging cognitive constructs such as cybercognition, which refers to the skills, heuristics, and cognitive dispositions that shape online decision-making, remain underexplored within this framework. This study investigates cybercognition as a potential determinant of the secure intention behaviour model, which refers to self-instructions to perform actions to attain secure behaviour in an online gaming environment. Using a simple random survey of adolescent gamers, the research examines how cybercognitive abilities interact with PMT components, including perceived severity, vulnerability, self-efficacy and response efficacy, to predict intentions to engage in secure online practices. Structural equation modelling reveals that cybercognition significantly enhances the explanatory power of PMT by influencing both threat appraisal and coping appraisal pathways. Findings suggest that adolescents with higher cybercognitive awareness are more likely to adopt protective behaviours while gaming. The study contributes to theoretical advancements in PMT by integrating cybercognition and offers practical implications for designing targeted digital safety interventions and educational programs for the youth.
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