Abstract
The cognitive appraisal theory (CAT) is a psychological framework that illustrates how individuals assess and interpret their experiences along with the resulting cognitive, emotional and behavioural effects (Lazarus, 1994). People react to communication both cognitively and emotively (Purworini, 2025). Thus, the CAT framework is a useful tool in communication research, as it helps explore these reactions and offers insight into how communication strategies can be shaped and refined (Purworini, 2025). This research utilised the CAT framework to explore cognitive and emotional factors and their influence on mobile payment behaviour. Specifically, financial literacy and digital literacy were analysed as cognitive factors, and perceived trust and perceived security as emotional factors.
Mobile payment refers to digital payment methods that allow consumers to make financial transactions using their mobile devices, such as smartphones (Liu et al., 2019). Mobile payment adoption has increased steadily, with approximately 1.48 billion users globally as of 2023, representing a significant portion of the global population (Laborde, 2023). Thus, mobile payment is an important area of research given its growing popularity. Liu et al. (2019) highlighted research gaps in mobile payment studies, particularly the need to explore cultural influences on mobile payment use. Other scholars (Daragmeh et al., 2021) have called for comparative studies across age, gender, and national context, using theoretical frameworks beyond UTAUT and TAM (Shang & Chiu, 2021). Thus, this research responds by utilising the CAT framework and comparing users in Australia and Germany.
A quantitative approach using a structured survey was adopted. Four validated scales were used to assess participants and apply the CAT: (i) digital literacy (Mieg et al., 2023); (ii) objective financial literacy (Lusardi & Mitchell, 2014); (ii) perceived trust (Kim et al., 2010); and (iv) perceived security (Kim et al., 2010) in relation to mobile payment use by consumers in Germany and Australia. Data was collected from 463 participants 234 in Australia and 229 in Germany.
Findings revealed cultural differences in both cognition and emotion around mobile payments. German participants reported significantly higher perceived trust, security, and digital literacy than Australians. This suggests that communication strategies need to be tailored across cultural contexts. Further, the influence of these factors varied depending on the type of purchase. In low involvement purchases (e.g., buying coffee), mobile payment users in both countries showed higher trust and digital literacy than non-users. However, only German users reported significantly higher financial literacy. In contrast, for high involvement purchases (e.g., buying a TV), Australian users showed significantly higher trust and security than non-users, whereas German users showed no significant preference. These findings highlight the need for targeted communication strategies that account for both emotional and cognitive responses to technology, tailored by culture and purchase context. This contributes to designing inclusive, responsive communication campaigns that encourage mobile payment usage across diverse communities.