Passivity in Transactional Analysis and the Susceptibility of Users to Cyber Threats
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Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between passivity strategies in transactional analysis
and users’ susceptibility to cyber threats. The main research problem concerned identifying which
passive strategies are most strongly associated with risky online behaviours. The study was con-
ducted in Poland using the CAWI method on a sample of 357 adults. Two tools were employed:
the Passivity Questionnaire (Pierzchała, 2024) and the author’s experimental Cyberthreat Suscep-
tibility Questionnaire (Łęski, 2024). The results revealed statistically significant correlations be-
tween the strategies of Overadaptation and Doing Nothing and susceptibility to cyber threats,
partially confirming the hypothesis that all forms of passivity increase risk. A positive relationship
was also found between the Violence strategy and displaying one’s private life on social media,
which may indicate reduced sensitivity to privacy and a link to sharenting. These findings highlight
the importance of psychological factors in cybersecurity and may inform preventive and educa-
tional initiatives aimed at strengthening users’ digital self-protection competences.
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References
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