User:Aleksandar Petkov/sandbox

Overview
The APCO model is a theoretical macro-model of privacy-related concepts, developed by Smith et al. . It consists of three main categories: Antecedents (A), Privacy Concerns (PC) and Outcomes (O). The model is used to determine the relationship between the constructs and track the ways in which they influence each other. Privacy Concerns (e.g. beliefs, attitudes, perceptions) are the central construct and serve as the mediator between the other constructs. Antecedents are on the left side of the model, and they influence the Privacy Concerns. Outcomes are found on the right side of the model, and they are influenced by Privacy Concerns. The APCO model is crucial for comprehending the complex interplay between various factors and their impact on people´s privacy-related decisions. The APCO model has been used in many empirical studies due to its comprehensive nature, predictive power, interdisciplinary perspective, practical applicability, testability, adaptability, guidance for research design, and its established base in information privacy research. The importance of the APCO lies in its empirical validation, practical relevance, contextual understanding, contribution to the field of privacy research, methodological insights, and potential implications for policy and practice.

Antecedents
The first category of the APCO model is the Antecedents and thus factors that influence privacy concerns. Buck et al. determine five of them- Privacy experiences, Privacy awareness, Personality differences, Demographic differences, and Culture.

First are Privacy experiences, which can be negative, such as being exposed to or being the victim of personal information abuses. Users who have undergone such a negative experience are more likely to have stronger concerns when it comes to their privacy. Privacy awareness refers to the user´s knowledge about organizational privacy practices. Concerns are being increased by awareness when users find out that a company has used their personal data without their consent. If they are unaware of this data collection, they may be less aware of their privacy. Personality differences, such as Extraversion and introversion, as well as the ‘big-five’ (extroversion, agreeableness, emotional instability, conscientiousness and intellect) all affect individual privacy concern. Demographic differences, such as gender, age, as well as an individual’s culture and its values, can all influence privacy concerns in different ways.

Privacy Concerns
In interdisciplinary studies on information privacy, privacy concerns typically refer to individuals' worries, anxieties, or apprehensions related to the collection, use, and dissemination of their personal information in various settings, particularly in the digital and online environment . In an online context, Alashoor et al. point out how privacy researchers have shown that a number of antecedents predict the construct of privacy concerns, which, in turn, predicts privacy-protective behaviors and self-disclosure outcomes.

Outcomes
The outcomes are consequences or results associated with privacy concerns. This could encompass a range of behaviors or reactions triggered by individuals´ privacy concerns, such as changes in online behavior, disclosure patterns, or even trust in online platforms. The privacy calculus, otherwise known as threat-appraisal, factors in how users weigh the perceived risk versus the perceived rewards. Should the vulnerability exceed the risks users enter a coping appraisal, seeking protective behaviours and actions. In an online context this can lead to behaviour such as not disclosing personal information, not engaging in online platforms, or not trusting online payment methods. Trust serves as an important factor in determining disclosure behaviours. Because of this companies implement privacy assurance mechanisms during online purchasing in order to maintain the user’s trust.

Criticism
However, some consider that this model is too basic. Some scholars, such as Dinev, find the APCO model too simple because it considers people as fully rational, and completely informed in their decisions. For them, the decisions are never the result of full information nor the result of high-effort cognitive control. This is why they developed an enhanced version of the APCO model, the enhanced APCO, that takes into account broader research field such as Behavioral economics. In this new model they consider, for instance, that the effort put into privacy decision depends on multiple factors, such as the time available, affect or motivation. Dinev et al. thus provide new area of research, taking into account the context of each decisions.

On the other hand, Kim et al. extend the APCO model to explore privacy concerns on a group level instead of the individual level generally studied, and call for more research and regulations, as group privacy is often disregarded and not considered as important.

Lastly, Borena et al. use the APCO model in the context of the Global South. Indeed, privacy concerns have been studied through the lens of the most developed countries, which are also where, and for whom Social Networks and internet (or Internet) have mostly been created. Those scholars thus call for more research on the effect of cultural and background differences between countries and people.