Cognitive, Normative, and Hedonic Pathways to Deepfake Acceptance: Integrating Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior and Goal Framing Theories

The rise of deepfake technology offers both opportunities and challenges across domains such as education and entertainment. Moving beyond detection-focused research, this study adopts a social science perspective by integrating the Knowledge–Attitude–Behavior model with Goal Framing Theory to examine Malaysian university students’ perceptions of deepfake. Using survey data from 235 students and structural equation modeling, results show that cognitive perceptions (i.e., knowledge and attitude) are positively associated with security awareness, with attitude mediating the link between knowledge and awareness. Attitude is negatively associated with normative perception (i.e., ethical acceptability), whereas ethical acceptability and hedonic frame (i.e., enjoyment) are positively associated with social acceptance. Fear of missing out strengthens the knowledge–attitude relationship but weakens the attitude–ethical acceptability link, while conscientiousness dampens the effect of knowledge on attitude. These findings highlight the cognitive, hedonic, and normative factors shaping deepfake acceptance and suggest that media literacy initiatives should cultivate both critical and emotional awareness to encourage responsible engagement with deepfake technology.