video: New research suggests that the Government urgently needs to assess public priorities and attitudes towards the track and trace app before it is rolled out. One of the earliest studies to look at mass acceptance of tracing apps, undertaken by a group of international researchers including Lancaster University, suggests that privacy (which is generally prioritised by governments in terms of app design) is only the top consideration for a certain group of people. Others would place greater weighting on other considerations, such as how convenient it would be to use. view more
Credit: Lancaster University Management School
Governments urgently need to understand public priorities before they roll out track and trace, according to new research.
One of the earliest studies to look at mass acceptance of tracing apps suggests that privacy - the factor generally considered most important by governments in their approach to the new technology - is the top consideration for only a certain group of people. Others would place greater weighting on other considerations, such as how convenient it would be to use. Promoting the wider societal benefits of an app is also proven more effective than focusing on benefits to a user's own health - suggesting governments should focus on citizens' altruistic motives.
The different approaches and perceptions of apps means that the UK as a whole may not engage with the track and trace system being introduced in autumn in the same way, so the government may quickly need to gauge 'what' we all are thinking, before the design is finalised.
Professor Monideepa Tarafdar from Lancaster University Management School is one of the authors of the new study, published in the European Journal of Information Systems. She said: "More than half of the population must install and actively use the app in order for it to be effective. In light of the urgency of the situation, and the fact the government will roll it out voluntarily, getting a true understanding of how to get the masses to accept - and crucially, use - one single app, is the most important consideration for developers.
"Our study reveals that one app simply cannot fit all - so the government needs to understand what the majority of us think about the system in order for it to be successful."
The researchers led an experimental study in Germany with 518 participants* in April 2020, when a track and trace app had been announced by government, but before it was released. They presented different versions of a fictitious app to the individual participants, gauging responses to functionality and design. Results revealed that participants could be divided into three groups - Critics, the Undecided and Advocates** - each with differing propensities to use the app, and each valuing the app features very differently.
Professor Simon Trang from the University of Goettingen said: "For the critics and undecided amongst participants, privacy was a top consideration - but did not sway the advocates of a tracing app. Crucially, we found messaging around the app protecting the user's own health were either ineffective or, in some cases, counterproductive. To achieve mass acceptance, our results suggest that communication strategies should solely focus on societal benefits such as 'download the app and help to keep the population safe.' "
Participants that were undecided were more swayed to download and use the app if it was presented as something convenient to use, whereas this was not a strong consideration for other groups.
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A video summarising the research findings can be found here: https://youtu.be/4SP6c0m_WLU
The paper, 'One app to trace them all? Examining app specifications for mass acceptance of contact-tracing apps' written by academics from the University of Goettingen, Lancaster University, Hong Kong Baptist University and Alfaisal University, is published in the European Journal of Information Systems.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2020.1784046
*Participants in the study were controlled for age, sex, education and efficacy in using technology. 47.5 percent of participants were female and the rest male.
**The study groups the participants and their characteristics as follows:
For the critics, societal-benefit appeals are superior to both self-benefit and self-societal-benefit appeals in driving installation intention. Furthermore, a high privacy design appears paramount for the installation decision, as it yields the second strongest effect. Convenience design elicits a rather negligible effect size.
For the undecided citizens, the effect pattern of societal-benefit appeal is comparable to the one for critics. Compared to self-benefit appeals and self-societal-benefit appeals, societal-benefit appeals increase installation intention. Although privacy design has a strong effect on app acceptance, convenience design elicits the strongest effect in this group
For the advocates of tracing apps, the effects of societal-benefit appeal (compared to self-benefit appeal and self-societal-benefit appeal), privacy design, and convenience design are approaching zero (see green marks). Hence, benefit appeal, privacy design, and convenience design play a subordinate role in the installation decision process for such citizens.
To arrange interviews with Prof Monideepa Tarafdar or for more information, please contact Lara Cowperthwaite: l.cowperthwaite@lancaster.ac.uk
To contact Professor Simon Trang :
University of Gottingen - Faculty of Business and Economics
Assistant Professor for Information Security and Compliance
Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)551 39 29723 Email: simon.trang@wiwi.uni-goettingen.de http://www.infsec.uni-goettingen.de
Journal
European Journal of Information Systems