Privacy Concern Scale (Malhotra et al. 2004, 4-item adaptation)

What it measures

Measures a consumer's general sensitivity to and concern about how companies handle their personal information. Adapted from Malhotra, Kim, and Agarwal's (2004) Internet Users' Information Privacy Concerns (IUIPC) scale. Used as a control variable in Martin et al.'s Study 3 to ensure that data vulnerability effects were not simply a function of pre-existing privacy attitudes.

Representative items

• I am sensitive to the way companies handle my personal information.
• It is important to keep my privacy intact from online companies.
• Personal privacy is very important, compared to other subjects.
• I am concerned about threats to my personal privacy.

Citation

Martin, K.D., Borah, A., & Palmatier, R.W. (2017). Data privacy: Effects on customer and firm performance. Journal of Marketing, 81(1), 36–58.