Data Breaches and the Individual: An Exploratory Study of the OPM Hack

In this document we present a validation of the adaptation of the Kübler-Ross model of the public emotional response cycles to a data breach event. We accomplish this through Tukeys HSD subgrouping analysis in comparison to a visualization of sentiment over time. We also perform a negative binomial regression against retweet count to validate the proposition that emotion is negatively correlated with retweet count and information is positively correlated with retweet count. The data set used to test these theories is contextualized by the OPM data breach of 2015 and consists of twitter data corresponding to the ensuing discussion following public notification that the breach had occurred. The resulting analysis indicates support for the Kübler-Ross adaptation as well as support for the proposed relationship between emotion, information, and retweet count