The Proceedings of the Information Systems Education Conference 2001: §19a Home Papers/Indices prev (§18c) Next (§19b)

Paper (refereed) Student-Faculty Papers

Recommended Citation: Broome, T and D Havelka. An Empirical Study of Computer Anxiety among College Students: Differences between Academic Disciplines. In The Proceedings of the Information Systems Education Conference 2001, v 18 (Cincinnati): §19a.

An Empirical Study of Computer Anxiety among College Students: Differences between Academic Disciplines

Refereed

Travis Broome    [a1] [a2]
Department of Decision Sciences and MIS
Miami University    [u1] [u2]
Oxford, Ohio, USA    [c1] [c2]

Douglas Havelka    [a1] [a2]
Department of Decision Sciences and MIS
Miami University    [u1] [u2]
Oxford, Ohio, USA    [c1] [c2]

The ability to interact with computer interfaces requires not only a basic understanding of computer concepts but also a basic familiarity with the most current hardware and software. Taking these factors into consideration, it's no wonder that a significant number of individuals find themselves anxious at the thought of having to operate a computer and effectively use its software. This computer-related nervousness has become so widespread and, in some cases, acute that it has developed into an impairment commonly known as computer anxiety. With the Internet and e-mail being the most influential factor in booming PC sales, the continued growth of the World Wide Web will only serve to bolster the demand for computers in almost every home in America. Not since television has a medium promised so much change in the way we learn, work, and play. While it may come as no surprise that some of the elder members of our society have failed to receive proper education in computing technologies, the substantial number of individuals from the current generation who fail to stay in tune with the swift pace of PC development certainly does call for alarm and the need to understand the factors that lead to the development of anxiety toward technology, specifically computing.

Keywords: computer anxiety, academic disciplines, computer stress, computer attitudes

Read this refereed paper in Adobe Portable Document (PDF) format. (116 K bytes)
Preview this refereed paper in Plain Text (TXT) format. (15 K bytes)

CDpic
Comments and corrections to
webmaster@isedj.org