As the cybersecurity risks rapidly grow for older adults, fear appeal – a persuasive message that highlights potential cyber threats to motivate protective behavior – has become increasingly prevalent in efforts to protect them. While numerous researchers have examined responses to fear appeals, no prior studies have implemented an actual fear appeal specifically targeting older adults to investigate its effectiveness in influencing their cybersecurity behaviors.
Drawing on Protection Motivation Theory and the Elaboration Likelihood Model, we develop a framework that conceptualizes Family Risk Involvement (FRI) as a central cue, self-stigma perception as a peripheral cue, and cognitive age as a moderator. This framework explains how older adults process fear appeal messages to enhance their cybersecurity behaviors, including individual-level security policy compliance and collaborative security knowledge sharing. We operationalize the central and peripheral cues in the form of message designs integrated into elderly-oriented cybersecurity training materials. Using these materials, we conduct a large-scale study via an offline training program for 4,944 elderly participants from over 400 local communities across 14 provinces in China.
Partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis of data collected from 4,944 participants reveals that the fear appeal message design through FRI and self-stigma perception significantly improves older adults’ cybersecurity behaviors. These effects are moderated by cognitive age, which exerts a reinforcement interaction effect.
This study contributes to both the theoretical understanding and practical design of effective fear appeal messages to promote cybersecurity behaviors among older adults.
