Cognitive style, personal involvement and situation as determinants of computer use

Abstract

The paper describes the application of a style/involvement model (SIM) in the explanation of computer use. The SIM's independent variables are cognitive style, measured by the Kirton adaption-innovation inventory (KAI), and personal involvement, measured by Zaichkowsky's personal involvement inventory (PII). These variables were expected, on the basis of prior research, to explain such aspects of usage as number of packages employed and frequency. They were also proposed as operational measures for the constructs ‘innate innovativeness’ and ‘product category interest’ in Midgley and Dowling's theory of consumer innovativeness. The theory's emphasis on the situational facilitation of innovative behaviour is additionally represented in a style/involvement/situation model (SISM) by variables relating to respondents' task orientations with respect to computing. Both models were tested for 107 current computer users, graduate students on three one-year business administration programmes each of which made different demands vis-à-vis computer use. Dependent variables were elements of computer usage measured by multiple-act criteria and a standardized index of overall computer use derived from these. In the test of the SIM, both KAI and PII had significant effects on overall computer use. KAI was related significantly to the extent of package usage, PII to frequency of use. Similar results were obtained for the SISM, although, as expected, situational influence exerted a strong effect on overall use and its elements.