College Students’ Perception of Data Privacy

Emma Sossamon & Audrey Zuckerman

April 30, 2020

The Problem
“Data privacy or information privacy, often refers to a specific kind of privacy linked to

personal information (however that may be defined) that is provided to private actors in a variety

of different contexts.” (Hart, 2020). Although it seems as though protecting one’s private

information online would be a priority for most technology users, there is a lack of federal law

provided to govern data privacy, leaving the legal subject matter and public opinion on data

privacy questionable.

Issues concerning data privacy and consumer sentiments towards data privacy peaked in

2019. Arguably, privacy and cybersecurity issues have become vital topics of discussion in light

of the Russian active measures campaigns and interference in the 2016 U.S. election. The report

from the Select Committee on Intelligence from the United States Senate found in its

investigation of the interference that “the Russian government directed extensive activity,

beginning in at least 2014 and carrying into at least 2017, against U.S. election infrastructure at

the state and local level. (Select Committee on Intelligence, United States Senate, 2016). Since

the federal Government has yet to enact privacy laws, states are taking initiative. In 2018, the

Business Email Compromise (BEC)/Email Account Compromise (EAC), California Consumer

Privacy Act, new State Law developments in Vermont (H.764), Colorado (HB 1128), Ohio

(2018 SB 220), and the advancement of Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) all

were put into action to assure individuals that they have the right to privacy in the age of big data

collection.

Millennials and Generation Z are considered digital natives, meaning they grew up with

technology and the internet. Because of this, studies have shown they are more savvy online,

however does it mean they are more aware of online threats? Growing up trusting the internet
may be a fallacy, but how do these digital natives behave that indicates they value their online

privacy?

In a study conducted by the ​European Journal of Information Systems​, they evaluated

generational differences in perceptions and attitudes towards online privacy. Through the use of

discussion in focus groups, the research had findings that helped them understand why there are

generational differences in privacy concerns, especially for younger generations. The study

began by understanding that younger people (identified as ages 15-25) are not less concerned

with privacy, but have different concerns and worries about it (Miltgen). College students are

concerned with “the privacy and security of passwords and social security and credit card

numbers, but they are not afraid of sharing personal data on SNS [Social Networking Sites]”

(Miltgen, 107). Young people may be more understanding and knowledgeable about potential

threats, but they may believe they have more laws governing their privacy than in reality (108).

However, young people feel more personally responsible for being careful online with their

personal data, however when or if issues arise, the younger generation sees these threats in the

future making it “hard to anticipate” (111).

Data privacy attitudes have been studied and researched for over 20 years. Since the age

of the internet, people have been faced with issues pertaining to their personal information being

online and out of their control. In a study conducted over a 20 year span, the general population’s

attitudes about data privacy showed that people’s attitudes are mostly non-affected over time.

However, those who identified as “very concerned” with threats to privacy showed more

fluctuation, with 1996 being the year with the most concern to threats of privacy (Regan. 85).
 Later in this study, threats to online privacy was evaluated and showed that those who are

concerned with online privacy will always be concerned, as the numbers only slightly fluctuated

over this 20 year span (Regan, 87). What the study did conclude was that younger people,

throughout time, have been seen to care less than other generations about online privacy (98).

The researchers conclude that this is because they grew up in a digital age and are more trusting

(97).

To better understand the use of consent forms in social science, a study by the ​Journal of

Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics​analyzed how undergraduate students interact

with a consent form. Consent forms used for social science research tend to be overlooked and

not read carefully (Perrault, 50). Consent forms are required by the Institutional Review Board

(IRB) because they highlight the rights of participants and better disclose what they are about to

participate in. This study tried to better understand why consent forms are overlooked and tested

different types of forms to see where the issues are. The study evaluated how students

comprehend consent forms, and the extent to which they read the form, and the time spent with

the form. The findings from the study showed that students who stated they fully read the form,

rather than skimming it or not reading it, were better able to recall information and comprehend

the meaning of the consent form (Perrault, 54). Understanding that the students who fully read

the form were more comprehensive of the information outlines, the study moved on to looking at

why the other students did not feel the need to read the form fully. These findings showed that

some undergraduate students “indicated they did not read the form because they did not think it

was important,” (54) while others claimed “all forms say the same things” (54). Being able to
better understand why students may neglect consent forms, and how it affects their knowledge of

the study, will help this study evaluate more undergraduate perceptions of online data privacy.

c) Why this matters to college students, leading into your research question
This study asked current college students to take a survey which would reflect their

current attitudes and behaviors regarding data privacy to measure how important data privacy is

to our generation. What this doesn’t answer is how privacy attitudes affect retention of

information from consent forms. College students are the most researched persons due to their

close proximity to universities conducting research and the prospect of incentives for research

participation. Because of this, it is crucial that college students know their rights in participating

and read consent forms that outline these rights. When participating in online questionnaires and

surveys, rights include how the participants' personal information will be used and recorded in

studies, and therefore outlines their online data privacy.

We ask: Do students who claim to value data privacy (Independent variable) retain more

information from a consent form (Dependent variable)?

Methods
The data collected comes from the sample of 40 Elon University students. For the

experiment, these students will reflect the larger population of “college students” that will be

generalized through this study. These participants were members of the organizations that both

researchers belong to and interact with at Elon University. Participants were recruited through

social media sites such as GroupMe, Instagram, Facebook, and via text. The google forms survey

only allows responses coming from Elon University’s G Suite, meaning the survey will not be

compromised by any outside parties who may receive the link. The survey will not collect any

personal identifiers, meaning there is no way to determine who took the survey or what their
personal responses are. Through ensuring confidentiality, the survey will only contain responses

that will be converted to data in Excel.

Measures
The survey was distributed over the social media apps used to recruit participants. To

analyze the data, the results of the survey were transferred into an excel document to measure the

data from every response. The survey consisted of two parts. Part A was created to receive a

general consensus on subjects’ sentiment towards common data privacy issues. REFERENCE

(Buchanan, 2007) All of these questions could be answered by selecting a measure on our likert

scale, (1. Strongly disagree, 2. Disagree, 3. Neutral, 4. Agree, 5. Strongly agree). The questions

were created by the ​Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology.​

Questions Part 1 (Privacy opinion scale - do a sum across all questions for each person)

1. I shred/burn my personal documents when I am disposing of them.

2. I only register for websites that have a privacy policy.

3. I read a website’s privacy policy before I register my information.

4. I read license agreements before I agree to them.

5. I remove cookies from a web browser.

6. I use a pop up window blocker.

7. I clear my browser history regularly.

8. I block messages/ emails from someone I do not want to hear from.

9. I check my computer for spyware.

Questions Part 2 - other privacy opinion questions (mixed with recall questions)
 1. Government authorities should be required to get a warrant before accessing my

emails and texts. (1. Strongly disagree, 2. Disagree, 3. Neutral, 4. Agree, 5.

Strongly agree).

2. A company should get my ‘OK’ before tracking my location. (1. Strongly

disagree, 2. Disagree, 3. Neutral, 4. Agree, 5. Strongly agree).

3. It is possible that damages can be paid for privacy violations on my personal data.

(1. Strongly disagree, 2. Disagree, 3. Neutral, 4. Agree, 5. Strongly agree).

4. I always read the agreements to share my “cookies” on a website before I agree.

(1. Strongly disagree, 2. Disagree, 3. Neutral, 4. Agree, 5. Strongly agree).

Part B was created to test participants on their recollection of the consent form. It asked

questions about specific information from the consent form. This would show how much

participants value their data privacy.

Did you read the entire consent form that you signed before starting this survey? (Y/N).

Questions Part 3 - a grade

1. In the consent form: if I elect to either now or any time during the study to withdraw my

participation I will be penalized and lose benefits. (T/F).

2. In the consent form: “this study meets the American Psychological Association’s

standard for “__________” psychologically.” What word goes in the blank? (1. No, 2.

Some, 3. Minimal, 4. Significant).

3. How long should this survey have taken? (Short answer).

4. True or False: By participating in this study, I have acknowledged that my personal

information has been stored along with my answers. (T/F).

 5. True or False: I may withdraw my participation from the study at any time. (T/F).

In our procedure to distribute the questionnaire to the participants, we first devised our

hypothesis and research questions for the experiment. When it came time to select our

participants, most students had gone home because of COVID-19. Because of this, there was

only one trial done for the experiment. ​A group of 40 participants​who would take the survey

only after they had consented to do so. If the spring semester had continued on campus, we

probably would have done numerous trials to see if there were any relevant repeated findings in

our data.​ Students were selected based on group messages that they were a part of on the social

media platform GroupMe.​Each participant then had to decide whether or not they consented to

be a part of the experiment. ​Over the week that the survey​sent on GroupMe, there were 40

responses collected. Repeated efforts to send out the survey to more groups after only 40

students chose to participate, but they were not successful. Every participant had the opportunity

to answer each question once, either answering on a Likert scale, true or false, and short answer.

Analysis

The analysis will begin by looking at the average responses for each question, as given by

each participant. From there, the students who answered “yes” to having read the consent form,

will be compared to the entire group, to see whether they are able to better comprehend and refer

back to the consent form. By comparing not only the responses relating to the consent form, but

the sentiments given about data privacy, the groups will be compared as to what it is they value

in online privacy.

Results
 Average and range of students' responses were measured to calculate their attitudes

towards data privacy. These responses were put into excel and analyzed from there. This graph

represents the average score of privacy attitude based on the likert scale. The Likert scale

measured responses on a range of 1-5, (1. Strongly disagree, 2. Disagree; 3. Neutral, 4. Agree; 5.

Strongly agree). The median of the dataset is 2.3. The average answer based on the sum score of

averages for a Likert scale answer is 2.43. Most students were somewhere in between

disagreeing and remaining neutral in response to these questions. Indicating that students

generally may not have had strong opinions in response to data privacy, possibly because it is not

of great interest or importance to them. Repeating the survey would yield data that could elicit a

trend in the general response (attitude) of undergraduate students on data privacy.

 This graph represents the average score of privacy attitude based on the Likert scale. The

Likert scale measured responses on a range of 1-5, (1. Strongly disagree, 2. Disagree; 3. Neutral,

4. Agree; 5. Strongly agree). However, in this dataset, instead of a 1-5 range, there is a 9-45

range. This range reflects the scores that show no concern from the students’ perspective (max

score of approx. 9), to the scores that show extreme concern from the students’ perspective (max

score of approx. 45). The median of the dataset is 12.5. The scores averaged 13.4, which

confirms that most students were not too concerned with their data privacy.
Comparison of Data Privacy Sentiments for those who did and did not read the consent
form
Did read (yes) 5 Didn’t read (no) 35

Average attitude 2.80/5 Average attitude 2.37/5

Average Grade 3.4/4 Average Grade 2.6/4

First looking for where the two groups differ, it is apparent that those who read consent

forms were more wary of where their information is going online. On average, participants who

read the consent form stated they were more likely to read terms and agreements before agreeing,

were more likely to use a pop-up window blocker, and remove cookies from their web browser.

Interestingly, the students who read the consent form answered very similarly to the questions

pertaining to whether or not it is right for companies to store personal data. Both groups had an
average sentiment score of 4.57 when asked “Government authorities should be required to get a

warrant before accessing my emails and texts,” and “A company should get my ‘OK’ before

tracking my location.” Looking forward to other trends in the dataset, over half of the

participants believed that their personal information was being stored in taking this survey.

Chart 1. Average and median answers given by those who stated they read the consent form
Chart 2. Average and median answers given by those who stated they did not read the consent

form

Looking at Charts 1 and 2, it is clear that the overall trend in how students respond was

not drastically different based on whether or not the students read the consent form. However,

the scores of those who did read the consent form generally answered with stronger opinions,

making their averages slightly higher than those who did not read. Since both groups have

similar opinions on the issues, it may be that those who read the consent form simply feel

stronger about their opinions of data privacy.

Chart 3. Percentage of participants with correct answers for Part 3 of questions per question

The average grade, if each individual had been graded for these four questions, is 66.6%.

That means that each participant answered two thirds of the questions correctly. Out of the 39

participants, 6 were able to answer all of the questions correctly and all of the participants

answered at least one question right.

 For three of these four questions, there were two answer options, meaning the

participants had a 50% chance of answering correctly. However,the range of answers for one

question was of four answer options. However, this answer received more correct responses than

other binary questions.

When asked to recall how long the survey was supposed to take, only 15% of participants

answered correctly. Interestingly, the majority of those who recalled how long their participation

would last were those who answered all other recall questions correctly.

Discussion
To execute the experiment for the data privacy research, we asked current college

students to take a survey which would reflect their current attitudes and behaviors regarding data

privacy to measure how important data privacy is to our generation. The hypothesis suggested

that if an individual has a higher score on the attitudinal (likert) scale, that will indicate the

respondents more comprehensive understanding of data privacy rules and regulations or lack

thereof. The data did not conclusively correlate higher measures in the attitudinal scale as an

indication of the respondents being more comprehensive of data privacy rules and regulations or

lack thereof. Their responses range from (1. Strongly disagree, 2. Disgaree, 3. Neutral, 4. Agree,

and 5. Strongly agree). The higher measures (agree and strongly agree) do not necessarily

demonstrate a more comprehensive understanding, they simply represent the opinions of the

participants. We could not attribute likert scale scores to knowledge on data privacy.

The second hypothesis was that people who have a more comprehensive understanding of

data privacy, are more likely to read the entire consent form and be able to recall the material

from the form during the survey. From the research, it was evident that the overall trend in how
students respond to the survey was not drastically different based on whether or not students read

the consent form. While there is no conclusive evidence that students who read consent forms are

more aware of their data privacy, there is some evidence that the students who do not read the

consent forms do not have strong opinions about their online privacy. Whether this is due to a

lack of knowledge of data privacy or a lack of caring, these students typically gave softer

answers, meaning they did not “strongly” agree or disagree.

As stated in the results, the scores of those who did read the consent form generally

answered with stronger opinions, making their averages slightly higher than those who did not

read. The students who read the consent form also, on average, scored higher in Part B of our

survey where they were able to recall information from the consent form and know their rights as

a participant. This highlights the findings in the ​Journal of Empirical Research on Human

Research Ethics,​which explains that students who care more about data privacy may be more

aware of their individual rights when participating in a social science research.

Limitations

This research was limited in that there were only 39 responses and they only came from

Elon students. To further understand and generalize how college students feel about their data

privacy, it is imperative that future studies have larger populations and a more diverse selection

of college students. These limitations were caused due to time constraints and accessibility to the

survey. Being produced during the international pandemic of COVID-19, the study’s deadlines

were jeopardized and the level of engagement of participants may have been affected. The study

was intended to have a final session to reveal findings to the participants, but due to Elon
University going online for the Spring 2020 semester, this focus group will not be possible to do

in person.

Other weaknesses in this study include the actual survey itself. The questions could have

been misleading or not categorized from easy to harder questions. Another possible issue was

that participants could have seen the questions reflecting on the consent form and exited out of

the survey, only to come back and be able to reread the form. This Hawthorne Effect may have

led to reactivity in completion of the survey.

Another possible flaw in this research is that the two investigators sent the survey to

different groups, and may have prefaced the survey in different ways, allowing only certain

people to actually participate, possibly construing the sample population. However, in accepting

these possible weaknesses and flaws, the research did reflect the findings of both Perrault and

Miltgen in that the students who read the consent form were more likely to be able to recall

information from the form; as well as seeing younger people have valued certain privacy

concerns over others. This study adds to the conversation of data privacy attitudes because it

highlights the attitudes of college students participating in social science research and how they

approach a consent form stating their online rights. This research will add commentary to the

Perrault research about consent forms because this study will highlight differences in attitudes

towards different online threats.

Conclusion

To execute the experiment for the data privacy research, we asked current college

students to take a survey which would reflect their current attitudes and behaviors regarding data

privacy to measure how important data privacy is to our generation. The hypothesis suggested
that if an individual has a higher score on the attitudinal (likert) scale, that will indicate the

respondents more comprehensive understanding of data privacy rules and regulations or lack

thereof. The data did not conclusively correlate higher measures in the attitudinal scale as an

indication of the respondents being more comprehensive of data privacy rules and regulations or

lack thereof. Their responses range from (1. Strongly disagree, 2. Disgaree, 3. Neutral, 4. Agree,

and 5. Strongly agree). The higher measures (agree and strongly agree) do not necessarily

demonstrate a more comprehensive understanding, they simply represent the opinions of the

participants. We could not attribute likert scale scores to knowledge on data privacy.

The second hypothesis was that people who have a more comprehensive understanding of

data privacy, are more likely to read the entire consent form and be able to recall the material

from the form during the survey. Therefore, the higher number of correct answers these

respondents get on the consent form questions, indicates that those respondents are more likely

to be vigilant on data privacy. From the research, it was evident that the overall trend in how

students respond to the survey was not drastically different based on whether or not students read

the consent form. As stated in the results, the scores of those who did read the consent form

generally answered with stronger opinions, making their averages slightly higher than those who

did not read. The students who read the consent form also, on average, scored higher in Part B of

our survey where they were able to recall information from the consent form and know their

rights as a participant. This highlights the findings in the ​Journal of Empirical Research on

Human Research Ethics,​which explains that students who care more about data privacy may be

more aware of their individual rights when participating in a social science research. Revisiting

this hypothesis and altering our study to have larger and broader sample size would help in
determining whether or not people who read consent forms have stronger opinions on data

privacy compared to those who do not.

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank our Professor Dr. Sturgill for being such a great resource for this

project. She really helped guide us in the right direction and taught us how to be more effective

researchers. We would also like to thank all of our anonymous participants, your participation in

our survey has led us to consider greater questions about our generation’s sentiments regarding

data privacy. Hopefully this research will prove useful to policy and law makers in their

decisions on data privacy in the United States.

References

Buchanan, T., Joinson, A., Schofield, C. P. & Reips, U. (2007). Development of measures of

online privacy concern and protection for use on the Internet. ​Journal of the American

Society for Information Science and Technology.​​58,​157-165. doi: 10.1002/asi.20459.

Hart, C. (2020). A Beginner’s Guide to Data Privacy. Northeastern University Graduate

Programs. ​https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/what-is-data-privacy/​.

Miltgen, C. L., & Peyrat-Guillard, D. (2014). Cultural and generational influences on privacy

concerns: a qualitative study in seven European countries. ​European Journal of

Information Systems,​​23(​2), 103–125. doi: 10.1057.

Perrault, E. K., Keating, D. M. (2018). Seeking Ways to Inform the Uninformed: Improving the

Informed Consent Process in Online Social Science Research. ​Journal of Empirical

Research on Human Research Ethics, 13(​1), 50-60. doi: 10.1177/1556264617738846

Regan, P. M., Fitzgerald, G., & Balint, P. (2012). Generational views of information privacy.

Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research,​​26,​81–99. doi: 10.1080.

Select Committee on Intelligence, United States Senate. (2016). Select Committee on

Intelligence, United States Senate on Russian Active Measures Campaigns and

Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election. (1) Russian Efforts Against Election Infrastructure

with Additional Views.

https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Report_Volume1.pdf