Systematic Comparison of Online Risk Perception Literature (2022-2026): Toward a Unified Five-Dimension Framework

Online risk perception has become a key construct in the research on digital behavior. The field is characterized by theoretical heterogeneity and inconsistency in dimensions. This systematic review aims to synthesize the literature published between 2022 and 2026 to address three objectives: (1) to map the theoretical frameworks used to understand online risk perception, (2) to identify dimensions common across research contexts with sufficient empirical support to constitute a unified framework, and (3) to suggest operational definitions for five dimensions that will serve as the conceptual basis for future scale development. A systematic search of Scopus using the keywords of online risk and security resulted in more than 70 sources in the areas of e-commerce, cybersecurity, social media, digital banking, crowdfunding, health, and education. The review maps evidence from 14 studies to five dimensions of perceived online risk, namely privacy, security, financial, fraud, and social, with seven theoretical frameworks. Each of the dimensions is clearly defined and supported by a diverse set of research. Four existing measurement tools cover only some dimensions, highlighting the need for a unified instrument to assess online risk perception.