Personality Traits and Privacy Perceptions: An Empirical Study in the Context of Location-Based Services

Abstract

Location-based services (LBS) are services that take into account the geographic location of a user. While LBS promise efficiency and effectiveness gains, their use also raises fundamental privacy issues. In this study we propose the development of a theoretical model for examining the role of personality traits in perceptions of privacy in reference to LBS. More specifically, we will develop a model that incorporates the Big Five personality traits (agreeableness, extraversion, emotional stability, openness to experience, conscientiousness), the most widely accepted framework for personality research in psychology, as well as perceptions of privacy, usefulness, risk, and trust as mediators in our model to explain behavioral intentions towards adopting LBS. We empirically test our model using a survey-based approach sampling 470 undergraduate business students.