Oscar Peters

Explaining the acceptance and use of government Internet services: a multivariate analysis of 2006 survey data in the Netherlands

In this article, an attempt is made to explain the descriptive data of a large-scale representative survey of the use of government Internet services by the Dutch population in 2006 by means of a multidisciplinary model of technology acceptance and use that is applied to these services. Ultimately, the model is tested with structural equation modeling techniques. It appears to fit to the data after some modifications and exclusion of variables. The ultimate model could be used to explain the acceptance and use of government Internet services. The larger correlation model could serve as a framework for research of Internet services in general. The social–demographic and psychological factors usually investigated in new technology acceptance and usage research do not prove to be strong here. Instead, it is demonstrated that the availability of Internet services, the knowledge of this availability, the preference to use digital channels, and the ability and experience to do this are the primary conditions. The most general conclusion drawn is that the acceptance and use of government Internet services is a matter of learning, and that acceptance and use should be analyzed as a dynamic process. People will stick to their habits of using traditional channels unless they happen to learn a better alternative. Governments are recommended to add a demand-side orientation and benchmarking for the supply of government Internet services and to develop service tracking technologies monitoring usage and users.

Always connected: a longitudinal field study of mobile communication

Twenty-five novice users of a new mobile communication device were closely tracked for a period of three months. The results of this longitudinal field study show that peoples motivations for using mobile communication technology are initially influenced more strongly by their perceptions about the expected use, which is more task-oriented. Over time, due to the quick habituation of the new mobile communication device important, initial gratifications, like permanent access and social interaction, appear to be less manifest reasons for using the mobile communication device and become more latent, while gratifications like fashion/ status and entertainment appear to become more dominant. Moreover, the boundary between work and personal life slowly disappears as people can easily use mobile communication technology simultaneously for personal and business purposes in both social and work-related contexts.

The effects of interactive brand placements in online games on children's cognitive, affective, and conative brand responses

This study investigated how persuasive messages integrated in an online game affects childrens cognitive, affective, and conative responses to the brand, as well as their attitude toward the game itself. An experiment conducted among 2453 girls between the ages of 11 and 17 demonstrated that confrontation with interactive brand placement in the game resulted in more positive attitudes toward the game, higher top of mind awareness of the brand, more positive brand images, and more favorable behavioral intentions. In addition, consistent with persuasion literature and theories on child development, this study showed that there was a three-way interaction effect between exposure to the brand placement, age, and prior brand use for behavioral intentions. The youngest girls who had no prior experience with the brand were more strongly influenced by the brand placement than the oldest girls who had no prior brand experience.

The Prevalence of Problematic Video Gamers in The Netherlands

This study surveyed Dutch adolescents and adults about their video gaming behavior to assess the prevalence of problematic gaming. A representative national panel of 902 respondents aged 14 to 81 took part in the study. The results show that gaming in general is a wide-spread and popular activity among the Dutch population. Browser games (small games played via the internet) and offline casual games (e.g., offline card games) were reported as most popular type of game. Online games (e.g., massively multiplayer online role-playing games) are played by a relatively small part of the respondents, yet considerably more time is spent on these online games than on browser games, offline casual games, and offline games (e.g., offline racing games). The prevalence of problematic gaming in the total sample is 1.3 percent. Among adolescents and young adults problematic gaming occurs in 3.3 percent of cases. Particularly male adolescents seem to be more vulnerable to developing problematic gaming habits.

A Model For Predicting the Educational Use of Information and Communication Technologies

This study of 550 persons, predominately education professionals, was designed to test an integrated theoretical model (the 4-E Model) for predicting the likelihood of the use of telecommunications-related technological innovations (in particular, e-mail, the WWW, and videoconferencing) in learning-related settings. The four Es in the model, derived from a series of previous studies (Collis & Pals, 1999), are environmental factors, effectiveness, ease of use, and (personal) engagement. The model was first tested using factor-analytic procedures on the results of a 54-item questionnaire adminstered via the WWW to a sample of 550 persons from 39 countries. Twelve factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.00 were extracted and latent variables were generated to correspond with the factors. The factors as interpreted by items with loadings <0.500 supported the 4-E Model, but indicated that the four theoretical e dimensions could be further expressed in terms of subaspects. In addition, a series of variables related to likelihood of use of e-mail, the WWW, and videoconferencing in educational settings was also subjected to a factor analysis, resulting in three latent variables representing the dependent variables for a causal model. The causal model linking the latent variables was tested using a series of LISREL analyses, one for each of the derived dependent variables. The results, which again supported the 4-E Model, showed a strong contribution of the environment subfactor relating to the organization, as well as the engagement subfactor relating to the individuals self-confidence with respect to technology use to the prediction of implementation success. Based on the results of the factor analysis and the model validation, six of the latent variables related to the 4-E Model were identified as key to implementation prediction. These variables were used in a series of analyses of key subgroups in the sample, relating to educational sector, educational role, to gender, and to age, in order to examine key discriminating variables. The results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications, including the development of a WWW-based instrument.

A cognitive-behavioral model of problematic online gaming in adolescents aged 12-22years

The aim of this study was to apply the cognitive behavioral model of problematic Internet use to the context of online game use to obtain a better understanding of problematic use of online games and its negative consequences. In total, 597 online game playing adolescents aged 12-22years participated in this study. Results showed that the cognitive behavioral model of problematic Internet use can also be used in the context of online game use. More specifically, preference for online social interaction, mood regulation and deficient self-regulation appeared to play an important role in predicting negative outcomes from problematic online game use. Together, these cognitions and behaviors explained 79% of the variance of negative outcomes scores. These findings can be used to develop strategies that aim at reducing problematic online game behavior and its negative consequences.

Proposing a Survey Instrument for Measuring Operational, Formal, Information, and Strategic Internet Skills

Observational studies prove to be very suitable to provide a realistic view of peoples Internet skills. However, their cost and time are a strong limitation for large-scale data gathering. A useful addition to the measurement of Internet skills would be the development of survey questions for measuring Internet skills. In this contribution, potential survey measures for operational, formal, information, and strategic Internet skills were analyzed. Three steps were followed to obtain valid items; coherences between, on one hand, frequency and agreement scales and, on the other hand, the results of two large-scale performance tests (assignment completion and time spent) are measured, the Fornell and Larcker discriminant validity criterion was used to test discriminant validity of these Internet skills items, and the items are analyzed using a first-order confirmatory factor analysis. The items that resulted from the three steps might be used in future survey measures.

Digital movie piracy: A perspective on downloading behavior through social cognitive theory

This study refined and specified a model based on the application (e.g. LaRose & Kim, 2007) of social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) to analyze and compare the behavior and attitudes exhibited by movie downloaders and to compare the number of movies they consume. The model is tested against data obtained from college students and from attendees of a technological lifestyle forum in the Netherlands. After revisions, the model explained nearly 23% of the variance in the number of movies downloaded. The most important factors in this model were the drive to view many different and new movies, the social environment and perceived attitudes toward the behavior, and the degree to which downloading has embedded itself in the daily routine. Because the Dutch government and lobbyists are unclear about the current legislation in the Netherlands, a unique opportunity existed to study the impact of being aware of legislation on the behavior. The results also indicate an unexpected openness among the participants to an alternative film-distribution method in which both the producers and the consumers receive an honest deal. These findings suggest options for relieving the current political and social tensions associated with movie downloading without prosecuting an increasing portion of the population.

A Social Cognitive Perspective on Mobile Communication Technology Use and Adoption

This study examined the triadic relationship between expected outcomes, habit strength, and mobile communication technology use and adoption within the model of media attendance (LaRose & Eastin, 2004). Mobile phone users (N = 644) were divided into two groups using a stratified random sampling method. Respondents from Group 1 (n = 334) were surveyed for mobile phone use and respondents from Group 2 (n = 310) were surveyed for the intention to adopt mobile video telephony. On the basis of structural equation analysis for the model of media attendance, the results of this study support the assumptions that (a) mobile phone use is more likely to be explained by habit strength and (b) the intention to adopt mobile video telephony is more likely to be predicted by outcome expectations.

Does e-government reduce the administrative burden of businesses? An assessment of business-to-government systems usage in the Netherlands

The reduction of the administrative burden on businesses is an important governmental policy objective. Electronic government is presented as a promising reduction strategy in many countries. Underlying assumptions and mechanisms are hardly ever made explicit and scientific evidence of successful implementations is scarce. This paper presents an assessment of business-to-government systems in use in the Netherlands. Results show that organizational characteristics are the most influencing factors of perceived burden reduction and implementation effectiveness. Whereas perceived organizational benefits positively relate to the overall confirmation of the former system adoption decision. Surprisingly the quantitative, usage related characteristics do not present any statistical relevance. These findings help us understand existing differences in appreciation between business and governmental representatives on the successfulness of e-government projects in reducing the administrative burden on businesses. Furthermore, research results can help to enhance the effectiveness of e-government policy and measurement instruments