Gender and Social Facilitation Effects on Computer Competence and Attitudes toward Computers

Rod Corston,Andrew M. Colman

doi:10.2190/7vw3-w6rv-6dcp-70mn

Rod Corston, Andrew M. Colman

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.2190/7vw3-w6rv-6dcp-70mn

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Abstract

Subjects (36 male, 36 female), aged from fifteen to fifty-two years, performed a computer-based tracking task under one of six audience conditions in an experiment designed to investigate the effects of gender and social facilitation on performance. In addition to the computer task, each subject completed a fifteen-item questionnaire designed to identify levels of computer usage, computer-related anxiety, confidence and competence when using computers, and attitudes toward computers and computer users. Males performed significantly better than females, and a significant social facilitation effect was found. A significant Gender × Audience interaction was found, with females performing very much better in the presence of a female audience than alone or with a male audience. The implications for educational policy and practice are briefly discussed.

Highlights

Subjects (36 male, 36 female), aged from 15 to 52 years, performed a computer-based tracking task under one of six audience conditions in an experiment designed to investigate the effects of gender and social facilitation on performance
They performed five trials on a computer-based tracking task under one of the six conditions, and additional information about previous experience of computers and attitudes toward computers and computer users was gleaned from a questionnaire
An analysis of variance was performed to determine the significance of differences due to gender and audience condition

Summary

Introduction

Subjects (36 male, 36 female), aged from 15 to 52 years, performed a computer-based tracking task under one of six audience conditions in an experiment designed to investigate the effects of gender and social facilitation on performance. Anecdotal evidence suggests that computers appear to be perceived primarily as a masculine technology, and this tends to be confirmed by the sex distributions in school and college computer classes and amusement arcades. This male predominance is perhaps surprising in the light of the fact that many of the pioneers in the field of computing were female. Research into biological differences has suggested that males and females may tend to use differing cognitive strategies while using computers [11], but there is no evidence that either sex is innately superior at this type of task [3]. Levin and Gordon [14] reported evidence that those who owned computers at home showed more positive attitudes toward them, felt a greater need for computers in their lives, and were more motivated to become familiar with them

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