Which three factors make up the coping appraisal (Bewältigungseinschätzung) in Protection Motivation Theory?

Response efficacy ("does the measure work?"), self-efficacy ("can I do it?"), and response costs ("what does it cost me?").

* The three coping-appraisal factors: response-efficacy, self-efficacy, and the (subtracted) response-costs. *

1. Handlungswirksamkeit (response efficacy) — does the recommended action actually avert the threat? ("Does checking the sender really protect me from phishing?")
2. Selbstwirksamkeit (self-efficacy) — do I believe I'm capable of performing it? (Bandura's concept: people don't attempt what they think they'll fail at)
3. Handlungskosten (response costs) — time, effort, inconvenience, social cost of the secure behavior

Protection motivation rises when the first two are high and the third is low.

The practical lever: of all six PMT factors, lowering Handlungskosten is the one organizations control most directly — SSO instead of ten passwords, one-click phishing reporting buttons, pre-configured VPN. Security that is easy gets done; security that is hard gets bypassed (see: Signal-Leak).

Go deeper:

• Protection motivation theory — Wikipedia — Response-Efficacy, Self-Efficacy (Bandura) und Response Costs; Selbstwirksamkeit als stärkster Faktor.