Abstract
Picture-authentication system is a novel system that users can identify themselves by correctly picking out pictures registered by themselves, instead of recalling and inputting a password. Although pictures are important keys to maintain the system safe and easy to use, no studies have been executed to reveal characteristics of the pictures and psychological factors that may affect users’ decision to select the pictures. Thus, we asked participants (47 undergraduate students) to register their own pictures to a virtual picture-authentication system, and examined their willingness to actually resister the pictures on the system after a two-months-interval. It was indicated that their willingness was positively related to the feelings of appropriateness, attachments, and identifiability of the pictures, and was negatively related to the feeling of resistance for the system. We discuss that it is important to reduce the resistance for registration and to popularize the models of the new system.
