Systematic review of survey scales measuring information privacy concerns on social network sites

Abstract

Privacy in social network sites (SNSs) is an important issue, and many researchers have focused on understanding the effects of information privacy concerns (IPCs) on user behavior. However, to develop research capable of addressing the complexity and multilayered nature of IPCs on SNSs, valid and reliable IPC survey scales are necessary. To this end, a systematic review of IPC scales utilized in SNS research was conducted to describe the survey inventories used, identify critical issues, and suggest directions for future research. Articles measuring SNS users’ IPCs published before 2023 were reviewed systematically using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) methodology. Altogether, 4,581 screened abstracts yielded 120 eligible articles, in which 53 different survey scales for the measurement of SNS users’ IPCs were used. These scales predominantly measure IPCs arising from organizational practices (i.e., vertical IPCs) rather than SNS user practices (i.e., horizontal IPCs). The results also indicated that scarce attention has been paid to ensuring the scales’ validity, particularly structural validity, criterion validity, and measurement invariance.