A Preliminary Review of Cyber-Deception Factors: Offerings from a Systematic Review

Abstract

The current paper aims to provide a preliminary exploration of the characteristics associated with cyber-deception, by focusing on motivations for engagement and the psychological characteristics of those perpetrating such behaviour. It aims to further outline gaps in the literature and suggest what areas any potential model of cyber-deception could include to benefit future research. A systematic search of 11 databases was undertaken, with additional manual searching for relevant journals and sources. This was followed by data extraction and thematic analysis. A total of 21 studies were identified as meeting eligibility criteria. Six motivational themes emerged (i.e. acquiring attention and sympathy; a response to negative childhood experiences; preserving identity and presenting your ‘true’ self; to cause intentional harm and to pursue personal enjoyment; to exploit materially; deception as a stress-reliever in response to life strain), and one individual theme (i.e. perpetrator personality). Perpetrator motivation included a varied range of factors, with more static characteristics (i.e. personality) less well captured in the literature. Future research could determine if psychological differences are of value or if the area is better understood through consideration of more dynamic (motivational) factors.

Keywords

• Cyber-detection
• Motivation
• Attention
• Preserve identity
• Harm
• Enjoyment