Richard A. Hudiburg

PSYCHOLOGY OF COMPUTER USE: VII. MEASURING TECHNOSTRESS: COMPUTER-RELATED STRESS '

The Computer Technology Hassles Scale was developed to measure technostress or computer-related stress. The Computer Technology Hassles Scale was based on the idea that certain interactions with computer technology are perceived by people to be stressful or a “hassle.” Subjects rated a list of 65 “hassles” as to severity, using a graded response. To ascertain the relation of the Computer Technology Hassles Scale to other measures, the subjects were given the Perceived Stress Scale, a measure of global stress. Subjects were also given a measure of computer attitudes, the Computer Attitude Scale. Demographic data on each subject were also collected. The correlational analyses showed that scores on the Computer Technology Hassles Scale were significantly correlated with scores on the Perceived Stress Scale and the number of hours of computer use but not with attitudes toward computers. These results suggest that the Computer Technology Hassles Scale taps a dimension of psychological stress and that increased computer use for some people leads to increased computer-related stress.

Relating Computer-Associated Stress to Computerphobia

The associations of computer-related stress, somatic complaints, and computerphobia were studied by administering questionnaires covering demographic data, exposure to computer information, computer-related stress, as measured by the Computer Technology Hassles Scale, somatic complaint items of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, and Rosen, Sears, and Weils measures of computerphobia: Computer Anxiety Rating Scale, Attitudes Toward Computers Scale, and Computer Thoughts Scale to 109 students. Correlations indicated scores on the Computer Technology Hassles Scale were significantly correlated .35 with somatic complaints, .27 with years used a computer, and .28 with self-rated computer knowledge. The Computer Technology Hassles Scale was not significantly correlated (.18, −.08, and −.05) with the three measures of computerphobia. Computer-related stress appears to be distinct from computerphobia.

Coping with Computer-Stress

This research investigated coping strategies used by computer users who experienced varying degrees of computer-stress. Eighty-three college student computer users completed a research questionnaire with information about: computer use, computer knowledge, self-esteem, level of computer-stress, somatization/anxiety, stressful computer problem, and use of coping strategies. Based on scores derived from the Computer Hassles Scale, the students were classified as either experiencing high or low levels of computer-stress. Statistical analyses of differences revealed that high computer-stress users had lower self-rated computer abilities, lower self-esteem, and reported higher levels of somatization and anxiety. High computer-stress users, in contrast to low computer-stress users, significantly employed at higher levels confrontive, self-controlling, and accepting responsibility coping strategies in dealing with computer problems. The coping strategies employed by high computer-stress users were primarily emotional-focused coping strategies. The low computer-stress group tended to adopt a problem-solving coping strategy in dealing with computer problems.

PSYCHOLOGY OF COMPUTER USE: XVII THE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY HASSLES SCALE: REVISION, RELIABILITY, AND SOME CORRELATES

The reliability of the Computer Technology Hassles Scale, a measure of computer-related stress, and correlates of this measure were investigated. A questionnaire requested demographic data and exposure to computer information, the 69-item Computer Technology Hassles Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, a global measure of stress, the Computer Attitude Scale, and the somatic complaint items from the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. A total of 100 students responded to two administrations, given 2 months apart, of the questionnaire. Test-retest reliability was .64. Correlations of scores on the Computer Technology Hassles Scale with perceived stress were .26 (Time 1), .18 (Time 2) and with somatic complaints .15 (Time 2) and .36 (Time 2). Correlations of the scale with attitudes toward computers were –.08 (Time 1), .03 (Time 2) and with computer anxiety was –.11 (Time 2).

Self-monitoring and sex as moderator variables in the statistical explanation of self-reported marijuana and alcohol use.

Self-monitoring and sex are examined as likely moderators of some of the known effective predictors of self-reported use of marijuana and alcohol. The theory of self-monitoring implies that in comparisons between low and high self-monitors, dispositional predictors account for more of the variance in reported use among low self-monitors and environmental predictors account for more of the variance among high self-monitors. With the two classes of predictors established via principal-components analysis and with subgroups defined by scores on Snyders Self-Monitoring Scale, data from 807 college students showed that self-monitoring does not affect the action of either dispositional or environmental predictors. Thus, the self-monitoring construct promises explanatory leverage that in these tests, the scale is not able to deliver. When subgroups are defined by sex, analyses of reported alcohol use yield small but significant moderator effects: Womens use is more predictable from environmental variables, whereas mens use is more predictable from dispositional variables. These effects are consistent with the conclusions of recent meta-analyses of results from studies of sex differences in conformity to group pressures.

RELATIONSHIP OF COMPUTER HASSLES, SOMATIC COMPLAINTS, AND DAILY HASSLES

The relationships between computer hassles, measured by the Computer Technology Hassles Scale, daily hassles, measured by the Daily Hassles Scale, and somatic complaints, measured by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, were investigated in a college sample of 103. Computer hassles were correlated .57 with daily hassles and .39 with somatic complaints. Daily hassles were correlated .62 with somatic complaints. In general, these measures were uncorrelated with computer experience or computer knowledge. The Daily Hassles Scale, a measure of stress, is a better correlate for the Computer Technology Hassles Scale, a measure of computer-related stress, than the Perceived Stress Scale.

PSYCHOLOGY OF COMPUTER USE: XXIII. VALIDATING A MEASURE OF COMPUTER-RELATED STRESS

Prediction of the final grade in a computer course using the Computer Technology Hassles Scale, a measure of computer-related stress, was investigated. A sample of 154 university students enrolled in computer courses completed questionnaires covering demographic data, information on computer use, the Computer Technology Hassles Scale, and somatic complaint items of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Pearson correlations indicated scores on the Computer Technology Hassles Scale were significantly associated .27 with somatic complaints, -.24 with computer-course grades, and -.18 with self-rated computer knowledge. Regression analysis indicated that self-rated computer knowledge and scores on the Computer Technology Hassles Scale significantly predicted computer-course grade.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Computer Hassles Scale

The objective of this research was to determine the latent structure of the Computer Hassles Scale using confirmatory factor analysis. This study employed a normative database of 1199 student computer users. Both a priori and a posteriori latent structure models were tested using LISREL. The analyses did not support a latent structure of the scale based on the scales original two-factor definition. Using various goodness-of-fit indices, a four-factor model was the best fit.