Could affectivity compete better than efficacy in describing and explaining individuals' coping behavior: An empirical investigation

Abstract

This article raises a new issue by proposing that an individual's coping behaviour is not influenced only by efficacy. Most of the previous articles suggest that efficacy (i.e., susceptibility and severity) predominantly affects individuals' coping behaviour. This study counters many previous articles by replacing the efficacy with affectivity. This study suggests that the three determinants of affectivity (i.e., negative affectivity, trait anxiety and computer insecurity) that affect how internet users act or cope with something they encounter. This article contributes a new idea by arguing and subsequently finding that the determinant of individuals' coping behaviour is erraticism. The model in this study is more sophisticated in how it explains users' coping behaviour than Chen and Zahedi's (2016) model. It means that individuals' coping behaviours are predominantly influenced by negative affectivity, anxiety, and insecurity (affectivity) rather than susceptibility and severity (efficacy). According to these findings, this study concludes that social media systems must be able to cope with the users' affective behavioural patterns. Henceforth it has significant consequences in terms of strategic high-technology. Specifically, there are consequences for the Information Systems Development that gravitates towards social networking. The new systems must be able to trigger users to cope with adaptive structurization and knowledge management sharing. Also, this development must be able to reduce dysfunctional functions and computer crime risks.