Time Flies When You're Having Fun: Cognitive Absorption and Beliefs about Information Technology Usage

Abstract

Extant explanations of why users behave in particular ways toward information technologies have tended to focus predominantly on instrumental beliefs as drivers of individual usage intentions. Prior work in individual psychology, however, suggests that holistic experiences with technology as captured in constructs such as enjoyment and flow are potentially important explanatory variables in technology acceptance theories. In this paper, we describe a multidimensional construct labeled cognitive absorption and defined as a state of deep involvement with software. Cognitive absorption, theorized as 'Cynthia Beath was the accepting senior editor for this paper. being exhibited through the five dimensions of temporal dissociation, focused immersion, heightened enjoyment, control, and curiosity, is posited to be a proximal antecedent of two important beliefs about technology use: perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. In addition, we propose that the individual traits of playfulness and personal innovativeness are important determinants of cognitive absorption. Based on the conceptual definition of this construct, operational measures for each dimension are developed. Using the World Wide Web as the target technology, scale validation indicates that the operational measures have acceptable psychometric properties and confirmatory factor analysis supports the proposed multi-dimensional structure. Structural equation analysis provides evidence for the theorized nomological net of cognitive absorption. Theoretical and practical implications are offered.

Airline passengers’ continuance intention towards online check-in services: The role of personal innovativeness and subjective knowledge

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The use of cartoons in elementary classrooms: An analysis of teachers behavioral intention in terms of gender

“…A scale was developed to collect data based on the studies concerning the technology acceptance and use models and theories in the literature (Venkatesh, 2000;Agarwal and Karahanna, 2000;Saade andBahli, 2005, Cheng et al, 2006;Lai and Li 2005). The scale consists of four items under Usefulness, three items under Ease and four items under Attitude titles.…”

The moderating role of prior experience in technological acceptance models for ubiquitous computing services in urban environments

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