A latent profile analysis of dyadic level information disclosure behaviours: an investigation of parent-teen dyads

Information disclosure decisions often have impacts beyond just the person who made the decision to share the information. This is especially true for family members, where one family member’s decision to share information can result in a privacy breach that affects the entire family. However, few studies have examined information disclosure decisions when more than one person is affected. This research uses a latent profile analysis of parent-teen dyads to understand collective information disclosure decisions via the use of technology that may affect the entire family. To conduct the study, we surveyed dyads of a parent and a related teenager at two points in time regarding their perceptions and intentions to share information via an app that may affect other family members, including those outside the dyad. The latent profile analysis revealed two types of parent-teen dyads: technology-resistant and technology-receptive. We conceptualise these empirically derived privacy profiles as relational orientations toward collective privacy, demonstrating how latent profiles can be theoretically interpreted as outcomes of ongoing social and relational processes within dyads. We highlight how future research can leverage latent profile analysis to obtain a deeper understanding of dyadic-level decisions, such as information disclosure.