Self-efficacy is the belief in one's ability to accomplish or understand something. It is a construct from psychology and is highly domain-specific, meaning it varies depending on the area of focus. In Usable Security, this is relevant as problems often manifest in low expectations of self-efficacy, whether it is due to suboptimal interfaces, inadequate documentation, or simply a lack of learning opportunities. Self-efficacy is a very reliable tool for identifying issues in the use of security-relevant IT frameworks. The focus of this project is methodological and theoretical in nature, always with a connection to Usable Security. Examples include:
- Development, testing, and validation of measurement instruments for IT security-related self-efficacy in various domains/fields using state-of-the-art psychometric methods.
- Testing self-efficacy theory (including its connection to knowledge and other classical psychological theories in the applied context of Usable Security).
Project Lead: Oliver D. Reithmaier
Period: 2022-2025
