Understanding Users’ Decision-Making on Privacy Disclosure from a Configurational Perspective Perceived Values, Privacy Concerns, Cognitive Style, and Trust

Based on the privacy calculus model, users traditionally made decisions about privacy disclosure by weighing perceived values against privacy concerns. However, recent studies indicate that users’ cognitive style and trust also play significant roles in a social media context. This study examines how these factors collectively influence users’ privacy disclosure behavior from a configurational perspective. Through an online survey, we collected data from 452 respondents on a Chinese social media platform. The results reveal that users’ decision-making on privacy disclosure is a complex process with various configurations. For individuals with a field-dependent cognitive style, cognitive style is more important than the trade-off between perceived values and privacy concerns. On the other hand, for field-independent individuals, decisions are not only influenced by the trade-off between perceived values and privacy concerns but also by trust. We finally discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.