# How to Influence Privacy Behavior Using Cognitive Theory and Respective Determinant Factors
## 3 Theoretical Background in Experential Learning in Other Fields  
### The Concept of Behavior in Psychology  
This section is a first reference to the basic theories that contributed to the understanding of behavior as reflected in the field of psychology. More specifically, four basic theories are captured:  
* The neuropsychological theory;
* The psychoanalytical theory;
* The behavioral theory;
* The cognitive theory. The above theories were not the only ones formulated but were the most basic ones studied in the specific field of psychology. Neuropsychological Theory: This theory examines only pathological behaviors, which are seen through the cognitive effects of neurological disorders [30, 31]. We will not delve into this theory as it relates to ailments of a medical nature. Psychoanalytical Theory: according to [PERSON] [32, 33], human behavior is the result of a person's defense against his instinctual impulses. Behavioral Theory: A person's behavior consists of the immediate reaction to an environmental stimulus. Stimulus \(\rightarrow\) Reaction = Behavior or S \(\rightarrow\) R = Behavior. In his research, [PERSON] [34] describes that a person's behavior is acquired through classical conditioning, while according to [PERSON] [32, 33], it is through operant conditioning and is modified only if the environmental stimuli are modified. The basic mechanisms of behavior control and modification are reward/reward, fear, and punishment. Cognitive Theory: It is the evolution of S \(\rightarrow\) R behavioral theory. This theory holds that stimuli and reactions mediate cognitive processes that influence behavior. According to [PERSON] [35], cognitive processes include beliefs, perceptions, and attributions--also called productive causes [36]. According to [PERSON] et al. [36] attribution is defined as the cognitive process that a person constructs to try and explain why an event happened to her. The above contributes together with the environment when making a decision or facing a challenge. Finally, according to [PERSON] [37], attributions can be generalized or specialized. Models that attempt to explain how cognitive factors lead to various social behaviors are referred to as socio-cognitive models. [PERSON] [16] and [PERSON] and [PERSON] [17] distinguish two types of socio-cognitive models. The first type includes the attribution models which refer to people's causal explanations for events related to their health. The second type includes models aimed at predicting people's future behaviors. In the context of this research, we will not deal with the first two theories as the first concerns behaviors that are due to pathological factors, while the second captures more about the explanation of behavior rather than how it can be modified. Cognitive theory, also known as cognitive psychology, seeks to comprehend how people process information, think, and make decisions. It emphasizes the role of cognitive processes in shaping behavior, such as perception, attention, memory, and problem-solving. According to the theory, people actively interpret and make sense of their surroundings based on their prior knowledge, beliefs, and experiences [38]. The cognitive theory can be applied to understand how individuals perceive and evaluate privacy risks and make decisions about their online privacy in the context of privacy behavior in ICT users. According to the theory, cognitive processes influence people's privacy-related behaviors, including their knowledge and understanding of privacy issues, their perception of risks and benefits, and their attitudes and beliefs about privacy. One study that exemplifies the application of the cognitive theory in modifying privacy behavior is the work by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [39]. They conducted a study to examine cognitive dissonance theory to understand privacy behavior. The researchers discovered that the evaluation of benefits associated with disclosure does not motivate disclosure as strongly as previously believed.