Mark Brosnan

The impact of computer anxiety and self‐efficacy upon performance

The relationship between computer anxiety and computer performance is examined using a self-efficacy framework. A novel database searching task was demonstrated to 50 participants using two procedures (namely, accessing the data tables directly and constructing look-up tables). Levels of computer anxiety, prior experience and perceptions of self-efficacy were recorded. The results indicate that computer anxiety directly influences the number of correct responses obtained whilst self-efficacy determines how the task is attempted. Less anxious subjects obtained more correct responses and subjects with higher perceptions of self-efficacy used more look-up tables. The results indicate that self-efficacy theory can account for around half the variance in computer performance and that how a task is attempted should be assessed in addition to accuracy and speed of performance.

Executive functioning in adults and children with developmental dyslexia

The performance of developmentally dyslexic children and adults was studied upon a range of tasks that involved executive functioning. Both adult and child samples of dyslexics were found to under-perform on the group-embedded figures test. This test required the identification of constituent parts from within complex visual arrays, with good performance necessitating the inhibition of the processing of the surrounding context. A general deficit on visual-spatial tasks was eliminated as an explanation as dyslexics performed normally upon a range of other non-verbal assessments. The dyslexics consistently demonstrated a deficit in digit span tasks, a decrement that was increased with distractors, again suggesting difficulties in inhibiting the processing of the surrounding context. A deficit was also identified upon a verbal fluency task without a deficit in vocabulary level. Additionally, a specific deficit in the recollection of the temporal order of the presentation of items was in evidence, without a deficit in the recognition of the items themselves. The findings taken as a whole suggest that dyslexic individuals show deficiencies in executive functions relating to inhibition of distractors and to sequencing of events, a set of tasks associated with left prefrontal cortex functioning in the acquired neuropsychology literature.

A cross-cultural comparison of gender differences in computer attitudes and anxieties: the United Kingdom and Hong Kong

This study examined the computer attitudes and anxieties of 207 United Kingdom nationals and 286 Hong Kong nationals to determine the factorial structure for each sample and any gender differences. Both samples share a comparable educational environment and level of technological sophistication. The United Kingdom sample, however, reported more computer-related experience, less anxiety and more positive attitudes. There was a large degree of overlap between the factorial structure for computer anxiety and attitudes between the two samples which is consistent with previous research. For the United Kingdom sample, there were no gender differences in computer anxiety but males held more positive attitudes than females. For the Hong Kong sample, there were no gender differences in computer attitudes but males reported greater computer anxiety than females. This is the first sample in which males have been found to be more computer anxious than females, despite Hong Kong males reporting more computer experience than females. An item-by-item analysis identifies Hong Kong males are more anxious when anticipating using computers (rather than when actually using computers).

Modeling technophobia: a case for word processing

Abstract After theory of reasoned action, Davis (1986 Davis, 1993 ) and Davis, Bagozzi, and Warshaw (1989) proposed the Technology Acceptance Model to account for how perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitudes predict behavioral intention to use computers. This study combined these factors with measures from Banduras self efficacy theory (computer self efficacy and computer anxiety; Bandura, 1977 , Bandura, 1986 ) in conjunction with assessments of current computer experience. A total of 147 undergraduates completed a series of questionnaires at the beginning and end of a 13-week semester. A multiple regression analysis revealed that self-reported word-processor usage over a 13-week period was predicted by levels of usage at the beginning of the semester, expected usage, and perceived usefulness. Initial levels of usage and perceived usefulness were both predicted by levels of computer anxiety. A combination of the variables formulated by the Technology Acceptance Model and self efficacy theory account for 45% of the variance in self-reported computing behavior over a 13-week period. The theoretical implications are discussed.

Developing IDEAS: supporting children with autism within a participatory design team

IDEAS (Interface Design Experience for the Autistic Spectrum) is a method for involving children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in the technology design process. This paper extends the IDEAS method to enable use with a design team, providing specific added support for communication and collaboration difficulties that may arise. A study to trial this extended method was conducted with two design teams, each involving three children with ASD, in a series of six, weekly design sessions focused on designing a math game. The findings from this study reveal that the children were able to successfully participate in the sessions and collaborate with other children. The findings also highlight the positive experience that involvement in such a process can offer this population.

The impact of psychological gender, gender-related perceptions, significant others and the introducer of technology upon computer anxiety in students

The gender-related effects of masculinity, femininity, and perceiving technology to be masculinized upon computer anxiety in undergraduates is investigated in addition to the effect of significant others who use computers and the introducer of the technology. The results demonstrate a sex difference, females reporting higher levels of computer anxiety than males. For females, computer anxiety negatively correlated with masculinity, while femininity positively correlated with computer anxiety for males. Sixty-four percent of females agreed that computing was a male activity and that men were better at computing than women. Females who agreed with this latter statement were significantly less computer anxious than females who did not agree with this statement. Additionally, over 40 percent of the variance in female computer anxiety was accounted for by age and having a male friend who used a computer, suggesting that females use males for computer-related support as a strategy to reduce anxiety.

The relationship between Internet identification, Internet anxiety and Internet use

This paper reports a study investigating the relationship between Internet identification, Internet anxiety and Internet use. The participants were 446 students (319 females and 127 males) from two universities in the UK and one university in Australia. Measures of Internet identification and Internet anxiety were developed. The majority of participants were NOT anxious about using the Internet, although there were approximately 8% who showed evidence of Internet anxiety. There was a significant and negative relationship between Internet anxiety and Internet use. Those who were more anxious about using the Internet used the Internet less, although the magnitude of effect was small. There was a positive and significant relationship between Internet use and Internet identification. Those who scored high on the measure of Internet identification used the Internet more than those who did not. There was also a significant and negative relationship between Internet anxiety and Internet identification. Finally, males had a significantly higher Internet identification score than females. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Gender, Internet Experience, Internet Identification, and Internet Anxiety: A Ten-Year Followup

In 2002, we found gender differences in the use of the Internet. Since then, however, the Internet has changed considerably. We therefore conducted a follow-up study in 2012. The study involved 501 students (389 females and 100 males, 12 participants unspecified gender) and we measured Internet use, Internet anxiety, and Internet identification. We found that males had a greater breadth of Internet use; they used the Internet more for games and entertainment than females. The differentiation between males and females in terms of Internet use is evident, and in some ways is even more distinct than 10 years ago. In our previous research we had found no gender differences in the use of the Internet for communication, whereas in the current study we have found that females use the Internet for communication than males and were using social network sites more than males. We also found, consistent with our previous study, that Internet identification and Internet anxiety were related to Internet use.

The role of psychological gender in the computer-related attitudes and attainments of primary school children (aged 6-11)

As computing has become an increasingly male-dominated activity, feminine (sex typed) individuals would be predicted by psychological gender theory to underperform upon computer-related tasks. This is particulary significant as computer-based tuition now forms a compulsory component of the National Curriculum within primary education (ages 5–11) within the UK. The present study examines the computer-related attitudes and attainments of 48 primary (6–11 years) school-aged children. The results show boys hold more favourable attitudes towards computers than girls, a difference that becomes non-significant when controlling for psychological gender. Additionally, masculine sex typed schoolchildren hold more positive attitudes and achieve higher levels of computer-related attainment than feminine sex typed schoolchildren.

SPATIAL ABILITY IN CHILDREN'S PLAY WITH LEGO BLOCKS

Sex differences in spatial ability have been argued to originate from sex differences in childrens play preferences. Child (30 boys and 20 girls) were asked to construct a specific three-dimensional model using Lego blocks and were also given the Shepard and Metzler test of mental rotation. Those who completed the Lego model scored significantly higher in spatial ability than those who did not. Constructional ability was also related to errors made during the construction of the model, but spatial ability was the best predictor of completion of the model.