The Influence of Time Pressure and Persuasion Principles on Phishing Detection

Phishing is a pervasive threat with annually growing costs. Research has explored how users may be susceptible due to individual differences, email content, and situational factors. However, the influences of persuasive strategies and time pressure on phishing susceptibility remain unclear. The present study explored how the use of Cialdini’s six persuasion principles and time pressure (high vs low vs control) affect users’ abilities to classify 60 emails (50% phishing). Results indicated that time pressure influenced the pace at which users completed the task but was otherwise uninfluential. Rather, participants were generally insensitive to emails in all three conditions, indicating a potential floor effect. Additionally, persuasion principles influenced classifications. Users struggled to classify emails using the authority and commitment/consistency principles the most, and emails using the social proof, liking, and reciprocity principles the least. Overall, our findings suggest that users struggle to identify persuasive phishing attacks, regardless of time pressure.