People tend to disclose personal identifiable information (PII) that could be used by cybercriminals against them. Often, persuasion techniques are used by cybercriminals to trick people to disclose PII. This research investigates whether people can be made less susceptible to persuasion by reciprocation (i.e., making people feel obligated to return a favour) and authority, particularly in regard to whether information security knowledge and positive affect moderate the relation between susceptibility to persuasion and disclosing PII. Data are used from a population-based survey experiment that measured the actual disclosure of PII in an experimental setting (N = 2426). The results demonstrate a persuasion–disclosure link, indicating that people disclose more PII when persuaded by reciprocation, but not by authority. Knowledge of information security was also found to relate to disclosure. People disclosed less PII when they possessed more knowledge of information security. Positive affect was not related to the disclosure of PII. And contrary to expectations, no moderating effects were found of information security knowledge nor positive affect on the persuasion–disclosure link. Possible explanations are discussed, as well as limitations and future research directions. Uitgegeven door Sage, APA beschrijving: van der Kleij, R., van ‘t Hoff—De Goede, S., van de Weijer, S., & Leukfeldt, R. (2023). Social engineering and the disclosure of personal identifiable information: Examining the relationship and moderating factors using a population-based survey experiment. Journal of Criminology, 56(2-3), 278-293. https://doi.org/10.1177/26338076231162660
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Despite high prevalence of mental health problems among university students, there’s a gap between the need for help and the actual treatment received. This studyinvestigated disclosure on distress and hazardous alcohol use and help-seeking behavior in a sample of 1,791 students of a Dutch university of applied sciences.Students’ perceived public and personal stigma, and attitudes towards disclosure and help-seeking were assessed as possible predictors of disclosure and help-seekingbehavior. Results of the analysis of variance and logistic regression analysis indicated that perceived public and personal stigma did not predict disclosure and helpseeking behavior, but that attitudes towards disclosure and help-seeking did. Students with both distress and hazardous alcohol use have the least tendency to disclosetheir problems to family, friends or classmates, but at the same time they do tend to seek help. Disclosure and seeking help for mental health challenges are healthpromoting competencies that seem to need more attention in university students. Although further research needs to validate these findings, it is recommended topromote disclosure and help-seeking among students by investing in mental health literacy programs, to educate students about mental health issues, raise awarenesson available mental health services and their potential benefits.
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Social media, such as Facebook, offer brands the opportunity to reach their target audience in a less obtrusive way than traditional media, through sponsored posts. Regulations require marketers to explicitly inform consumers about the commercial nature of these posts. This study addresses the effects of sponsorship disclosures by means of a 2 (no disclosure vs. the sponsorship disclosure ‘Sponsored’) × 2 (source: celebrity endorser vs. brand) experiment. Results suggest that a sponsorship disclosure only influences the use of persuasion knowledge when the post is disseminated by a celebrity. Moreover, a disclosure starts a process in which the recognition of advertising (i.e., the activation of conceptual persuasion knowledge) causes consumers to develop distrusting beliefs about the post (i.e., higher attitudinal persuasion knowledge), and in turn, decreases their intention to engage in electronic word of mouth.
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-Chatbots are being used at an increasing rate, for instance, for simple Q&A conversations, flight reservations, online shopping and news aggregation. However, users expect to be served as effective and reliable as they were with human-based systems and are unforgiving once the system fails to understand them, engage them or show them human empathy. This problem is more prominent when the technology is used in domains such as health care, where empathy and the ability to give emotional support are most essential during interaction with the person. Empathy, however, is a unique human skill, and conversational agents such as chatbots cannot yet express empathy in nuanced ways to account for its complex nature and quality. This project focuses on designing emotionally supportive conversational agents within the mental health domain. We take a user-centered co-creation approach to focus on the mental health problems of sexual assault victims. This group is chosen specifically, because of the high rate of the sexual assault incidents and its lifetime destructive effects on the victim and the fact that although early intervention and treatment is necessary to prevent future mental health problems, these incidents largely go unreported due to the stigma attached to sexual assault. On the other hand, research shows that people feel more comfortable talking to chatbots about intimate topics since they feel no fear of judgment. We think an emotionally supportive and empathic chatbot specifically designed to encourage self-disclosure among sexual assault victims could help those who remain silent in fear of negative evaluation and empower them to process their experience better and take the necessary steps towards treatment early on.
In this project, we explore how healthcare providers and the creative industry can collaborate to develop effective digital mental health interventions, particularly for survivors of sexual assault. Sexual assault victims face significant barriers to seeking professional help, including shame, self-blame, and fear of judgment. With over 100,000 cases reported annually in the Netherlands the need for accessible, stigma-free support is urgent. Digital interventions, such as chatbots, offer a promising solution by providing a safe, confidential, and cost-effective space for victims to share their experiences before seeking professional care. However, existing commercial AI chatbots remain unsuitable for complex mental health support. While widely used for general health inquiries and basic therapy, they lack the human qualities essential for empathetic conversations. Additionally, training AI for this sensitive context is challenging due to limited caregiver-patient conversation data. A key concern raised by professionals worldwide is the risk of AI-driven chatbots being misused as therapy substitutes. Without proper safeguards, they may offer inappropriate responses, potentially harming users. This highlights the urgent need for strict design guidelines, robust safety measures, and comprehensive oversight in AI-based mental health solutions. To address these challenges, this project brings together experts from healthcare and design fields—especially conversation designers—to explore the power of design in developing a trustworthy, user-centered chatbot experience tailored to survivors' needs. Through an iterative process of research, co-creation, prototyping, and evaluation, we aim to integrate safe and effective digital support into mental healthcare. Our overarching goal is to bridge the gap between digital healthcare and the creative sector, fostering long-term collaboration. By combining clinical expertise with design innovation, we seek to develop personalized tools that ethically and effectively support individuals with mental health problems.
DOK4CT (in Dutch: Digitale Onderwijsmiddelen en Kennisontsluiting for Control Towers)In this project the practical applied knowledge, derived from innovative projects within the “Topsector logistiek”, is made accessible by Breda University and Deltago. This online Control Tower Course is specifically meant for logistic professionals and students in logistic orientated education. The project was made accesible and supported by the NWO, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. The scope of this project is limited to the area of Cross Chain Control Centers (4C) / Control Towers. The educational valorisation will be executed by the development of digital materials. These are used for student education as well as dissemination towards professionals in the logistics sector. Hereby, the interaction between students and professionals is an important additional benefit under the name of “social learning”. For example the interviews that Marcel Wouterse (Deltago and lecturer at Breda University of Applied Sciences) has created with key partners in the logistics sector were recorded and edited by students. By the use of digital educational tools and serious games, the benefits of Control Towers are now visible for students and professionals. The next phase is to introduce the gained knowledge in future organisations in order to support the Netherlands in the top of the logistics sector.Project goalThe goal of this project is to improve the exploitation of fundamental- and applied knowledge in the expertise area of Cross Chain Control Centers (4C) and Control Towers (CT).The tasks are divided in five subprojects:1. Preparations to transfer existing materials in digital learning tools;2. Shape digital education material (Webinars, online platform, knowledge clips and e-learnings)3. Develop and/or use several serious games (Convoy game / Synchromania)4. Promotion of the course to specified target groups (professionals / international students)5. Project managementExcising knowledge regarding Cross Chain Control Centers and Control Towers is used in this project. New knowledge will not be generated. The project focus lies on the disclosure of acquired knowledge by digital learning tools.
