Factors Affecting Acceptance of a Mobile Augmented Reality Application for Cybersecurity Awareness

Abstract

Human behavior is considered to be the weakest link in the field of cybersecurity. Despite the development of a wide range of Augmented Reality (AR) applications in various domains, no AR application is available to educate users and increase their awareness of cybersecurity issues. Thus, we developed a game based on AR techniques as an Android app called CybAR. Since there have been few acceptance studies in the field of AR, it was particularly important to identify the factors that affect user acceptance of AR technology. Technology acceptance studies typically predict behavioral adoption by investigating the relationship between attitudes and intentions, even though intention may not be the best predictor of actual behavior. Personality constructs and dimensions of cultural difference have recently been found to explain even more variance in behavior and provide insights into user behavior. The objective of this study is to identify the personality traits that affect users' acceptance of CybAR and increase their cybersecurity awareness. The study also aims to identify cultural factors that influence acceptance of CybAR by comparing Saudi Arabian and Australian users according to Hofstede's cultural value dimensions. Thus the potential predictors of CybAR app usage were derived from the extended unified theory of acceptance and usage of technology (UTAUT2), personality traits, and cultural moderators.