Internet Attitudes Research Articles

Tool, Toy, Telephone, Territory, or Treasure of Information: Elementary school students’ attitudes toward the Internet

The purposes of this study are to investigate fifth-graders’ attitudes toward the Internet based on the 5- T framework (Tool, Toy, Telephone, Territory, and Treasure of Information), and to understand whether gender makes any difference in their attitudes. The data were obtained from 2,253 Taiwan fifth-grade students. Through a confirmatory factor analysis, the 5- T model was validated and can be used to explain the corresponding five-factors which constitute Internet attitudes. According to the results, the students perceived the Internet mainly as a useful and powerful tool for their academic work and daily lives. Moreover, students strongly considered the Internet a toy, which is somewhat indistinguishable from the role of Tool. The students acknowledged the role of the Territory that they can demonstrate themselves by writing and sharing personal information online. Therefore, the Internet is good for both reading and writing information. The least weighted factor among 5- Ts student recognized is the role of Telephone. Gender differences exist in the subscales of Tool, Toy, Treasure of Information, and Telephone, but not in the Territory subscale of the Internet attitudes scale. This study further discusses and presents implications of the findings for teachers, parents, and future studies.

Oxford Internet Survey 2007 Report: The Internet in Britain

Launched by the Oxford Internet Institute in 2003, OxIS has become an authoritative source of information about Internet access, use and attitudes - and the difference this makes for everyday life - in Britain. Areas covered include: digital and social inclusion and exclusion; regulation and governance of the Internet; privacy, trust and risk concerns; and uses of the Internet, including social networking, entertainment and online education. The OxIS 2007 survey is the third in a series, with previous surveys conducted in 2003 and 2005. Each has used a multi-stage national probability sample of 2000 people in the UK, enabling us to project estimates to Britain as a whole. OxIS provides the UK's link to the World Internet Project (WIP), an international collaborative project that joins over two dozen nations in studies of the social, economic and political implications of the Internet. The first part of this report focuses on describing users, ex-users and non-users, based on such attributes as their demographic characteristics, uses of, and attitudes towards, ICTs. The second part focuses on describing how people with different backgrounds use and think about the Internet. A description of the methodology is available at the end of this report, and the full protocol for the interviews is available on the OxIS website.

Oxford Internet Survey 2005 Report: The Internet in Britain

Launched by the Oxford Internet Institute in 2003, OxIS has become an authoritative source of information about Internet access, use and attitudes - and the difference this makes for everyday life - in Britain. Areas covered include: digital and social inclusion and exclusion; regulation and governance of the Internet; privacy, trust and risk concerns; and uses of the Internet, including social networking, entertainment and online education. The OxIS 2005 survey is the second in a series, with a previous surveys conducted in 2003. Each has used a multi-stage national probability sample of 2000 people in the UK, enabling us to project estimates to Britain as a whole. OxIS provides the UK's link to the World Internet Project (WIP), an international collaborative project that joins over two dozen nations in studies of the social, economic and political implications of the Internet. The first part of this report focuses on describing users, ex-users and non-users, based on such attributes as their demographic characteristics, uses of, and attitudes towards, ICTs. The second part focuses on describing how people with different backgrounds use and think about the Internet. A description of the methodology is available at the end of this report, and the full protocol for the interviews is available on the OxIS website.

The Privacy Paradox: The Case of Secondary Disclosure

This paper examines the effect of privacy concerns on purchase likelihood. In many consumer-seller relationships, consumers are required to provide personal information to marketers in order to get better service. The law requires that marketer provide a statement of their privacy policies to consumers. Secondary disclosure is a key aspect of privacy policies. Consumers are concerned about giving up privacy, but the impact of such concerns on purchase behavior is unclear. By integrating several marketer-controlled variables like price, product, and channels with a marketer’s secondary disclosure policy, the study measures the relative importance of the latter along with the effects of secondary disclosure and internet attitudes. The results show that secondary disclosure attitudes influence the weight of secondary disclosure policies in purchase situations. The results also indicate that price sensitivity is influenced by secondary disclosure policies. The clear implications are that privacy concerns do matter and that privacy policies and marketing strategies cannot be set in isolation of each other. The findings are discussed in relation to prior research on privacy and future research directions. Statistical techniques used in the paper include structural equation models, conjoint analysis, and simultaneous equation regression.

The Validity and Reliability Studies of the Internet Use of Pre-Service English Teachers Survey: A Turkish Context

As the availability of computers and the Internet in schools and classrooms has grown, so has interest in the extent to which these technologies are being used and for what purposes. Recently there has been many studies on teachers’ use of education technology in their classrooms and schools, the availability of this technology in their classrooms and schools, their training and preparation for their use and the barriers to technology use they encounter. Using the Internet effectively and the success of the Internet utilization is very much related to the users’ attitudes toward the Internet. This study aims at investigating the reliability and the validity of the Internet Use of Pre-service English Teachers Survey modified from the Master Thesis of Sudsuang Yutdhana. The survey contains two subscales as Internet Attitude Scale and Self-perception of Computing Skills. The survey was administered to randomly selected third and fourth year 96 pre – service English Teachers at Dokuz Eylul University Buca, Faculty of Education, Department of English Language Teaching. The results indicated that Internet Use of Pre-service English Teachers Survey (IUPETS) is reliable and valid.

Mobile Telephones, Computers, and the Internet: Sex Differences in Adolescents' Use and Attitudes

This study investigated sex differences in mobile telephone, computer, and Internet use and attitudes via self-report questionnaires in 15 and 16 year olds. Significant sex differences were reported for use and computer anxiety, and use and Internet attitudes, although both females and males were generally competent and frequent users of both technologies. No sex differences were reported for either general mobile phone use or expertise, although analysis of specific aspects of use indicated that the sexes favored different phone activities.

University Students' Internet Attitudes and Internet Self-Efficacy: AStudy at Three Universities in Taiwan

This study was conducted to explore university students' attitudes and self-efficacy toward the Internet. Moreover, the relationships between their attitudes and self-efficacy toward the Internet were also investigated. The sample of this study included 1,313 students, coming from three universities in Taiwan. It was found that male students expressed significantly more positive attitudes than females on their "perceived control" of the Internet. The male students also revealed better Internet self-efficacy than their female counterparts. Moreover, students having more on-line hours per week, in general, displayed more positive Internet attitudes and Internet self-efficacy. In addition, students' grade level also played an important role in their Internet attitudes; graduate students tended to possess more positive Internet attitudes. More importantly, students' Internet attitudes were highly correlated with their Internet self-efficacy. The results in this study seemed to reveal that students' attitudes toward the Internet could be viewed as one of the important indicators for predicting their Internet self-efficacy. It is also suggested that some training programs or courses may be helpful in improving university students' attitudes and self-efficacy toward the Internet.

University students' self‐efficacy and their attitudes toward the Internet: the role of students' perceptions of the Internet

The attitudes and the self‐efficacy that characterize learners relative to the Internet have been identified as important factors that affect learners’ motivation, interests and performance in Internet‐based learning environments. Meanwhile, learners’ perceptions of the Internet may shape learners’ attitudes and online behaviours. This study investigates university students’ attitudes and self‐efficacy towards the Internet, and explores the role that university students’ perceptions of the Internet may play in their Internet attitudes and self‐efficacy. The results indicate that university students demonstrate positive attitudes and adequate Internet self‐efficacy and that these students are more inclined to view the Internet as a functional tool—a functional technology. Gender differences exist in university students’ attitudes towards, and perceptions of, the Internet; that is, male students demonstrate Internet attitudes that are more positive than those of their female peers. Furthermore, students who perceive the Internet as a leisure tool (e.g. as a tour or a toy) show more positive attitudes and communicative self‐efficacy than students who use the Internet as a functional technology. Educators and researchers need to be aware of these differences and to take them into consideration in their instruction. Lastly, this study serves as a starting‐point for research that more broadly explores learners’ perceptions of the Internet.

Internet users' attitude and behavioural intention on ebranding

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the effect of internet users' general attitude towards internet advertising and level of product involvement on their attitudes and behaviour. In this study, three banner advertisements and corporate websites of varying creative content and message appeal were used. Data was gathered through an online survey with a sample size of 245 respondents. The Covariance Structural Modelling results show that general attitude towards internet advertising and level of product involvement has a positive impact on users' attitudes (site and brand) and behavioural intention. The results show that the extent to which users perceive a corporate website is customised from information derived from their individual-level differences and is influenced by their general attitude towards internet advertising and level of involvement.

Relationships among Internet Attitudes, Internet Use, Romantic Beliefs, and Perceptions of Online Romantic Relationships

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors relating to perceptions of online romantic relationships. One hundred seventy-seven people who had never been involved in an online romantic relationship completed a survey to assess relationships among perceptions of online romantic relationships and (a) amount of Internet use, (b) Internet affinity, (c) perceived realism of the Internet, and (d) romantic beliefs. Results reveal that amount of time spent online and affinity for the Internet are positively related to more favorable perceptions of online romantic relationships, whereas perceived realism and romantic beliefs were not related to perceptions of online romantic relationships. Romantic beliefs, therefore, may lend themselves to more conventional notions of relationships. Implications for and development and maintenance of online relationships, as impacted by social support networks, are discussed.

Information Society in Hungary: Impact Assessment of Public Policies with the Help of Social Indicators

Despite significant policy efforts, in 2003 the Hungarian general population has fallen behind the Central and Eastern European (CEE) average regarding most social indicators of Internet access, usage, knowledge and attitudes. The article is a policy impact assessment interpreting the results of a population survey covering 10 countries of CEE, performed in 2003 within the framework of the SIBIS Project (Statistical Indicators Benchmarking the Information Society). The 10 Newly Associated States (NAS) covered by the survey are as follows: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. In case of Hungary the relevant strategies, legal framework development and support actions of various public policy areas are analysed with the help of an international comparative analysis of survey findings.

Instructional Set and Internet Use by Low-Income Adults

This research examined the effects of instructional set on Internet use by low-income adults during a 16-month longitudinal study. Participants (n = 117) received instructions that focused on either the Internet's communication tools or its information tools. Internet use was continuously and automatically recorded. Survey measures of computer and Internet experiences, affect and attitudes were obtained to examine their mediational role in the relationship between instructional set and Internet use. Results indicated that instructions focused on the Internet's information tools led to greater Internet use than instructions focused on its communication tools or only basic instructions about how to use the Internet. Implications for reducing the digital divide are discussed.

Development and validation of an internet use attitude scale

This paper describes the development and validation of a new 40-item Internet Attitude Scale (IAS), a one-dimensional inventory for measuring the Internet attitudes. The first experiment initiated a generic Internet attitude questionnaire, ensured construct validity, and examined factorial validity and reliability. The second experiment further analyzed the results of the first experiment to verify criterion validity and reliability using a different sample group. The results of the first and second experiments illustrated that this newly Internet Attitude Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring Internet attitudes.

Web search strategies and human individual differences: Cognitive and demographic factors, Internet attitudes, and approaches

The research reported here was an exploratory study that sought to discover the effects of human individual differences on Web search strategy. These differences consisted of (a) study approaches, ...

Web search strategies and human individual differences: Cognitive and demographic factors, Internet attitudes, and approaches

AbstractThe research reported here was an exploratory study that sought to discover the effects of human individual differences on Web search strategy. These differences consisted of (a) study approaches, (b) cognitive and demographic features, and (c) perceptions of and preferred approaches to Web‐based information seeking. Sixty‐eight master's students used AltaVista to search for information on three assigned search topics graded in terms of complexity. Five hundred seven search queries were factor analyzed to identify relationships between the individual difference variables and Boolean and best‐match search strategies. A number of consistent patterns of relationship were found. As task complexity increased, a number of strategic shifts were also observed on the part of searchers possessing particular combinations of characteristics. A second article (published in this issue of JASIST; Ford, Miller, & Moss, 2005) presents a combined analyses of the data including a series of regression analyses.

The relationship between consumer innovativeness, personal characteristics, and online banking adoption

PurposeThis paper explores the relationships between consumer innovativeness, self‐efficacy on the internet, internet attitudes and online banking adoption, while controlling for personal characteristics.Design/methodology/approachThe study integrates the technology acceptance model (TAM) and adoption of innovation framework to develop predictions of online banking acceptance. It distinguishes between innate consumer innovativeness, a generalized personality trait, and internet‐domain‐specific or actualized innovativeness in order to explore consumer characteristics' impact on adoption. Data are analyzed using logistic regression.FindingsWhile results confirm the positive relationship between internet related innovativeness and online banking they also surprisingly show that general innovativeness is negatively related to online banking.Research limitations/implicationsResults may or may not differ according to whether consumers are using online, telephone banking, electronic funds transfer (EFT) or direct bill payment. Our results may generalize to telephone banking and EFT as these products, like online banking, require an active consumer role in using the product. With direct bill payment, consumers need only set up the process initially and then monitor it on a semi‐regular basis.Practical implicationsFindings suggest that the type of consumer innovation matters in understanding the adoption of e‐banking processes. This supports the notion that online shoppers are distinct from traditional non‐online shoppers or highlight the unique nature of purchasing financial versus non‐financial products. Banks offering e‐banking need to recognize the importance of internet‐specific consumer innovation characteristics.Originality/valueThis paper closes a research gap as the model tested provides insights toward understanding the consumer‐based phenomenon of e‐banking, and serves to evaluate the TAM in this context. In contrast to previous research the study utilized an actual measure of e‐banking adoption versus a measure of intention to use the technology.

Comparison of e-commerce in India and Mexico: an example of technology diffusion in developing nations

The growth of the e-commerce industry and its relationship with associated industries such as telecommunications and software are analysed in the context of the Indian and Mexican economies. In addition, factors impacting the adoption of e-commerce in different sectors of the economy are examined. The major variables considered include growth in the number of internet connections, telecommunications infrastructure, attitudes and awareness of corporations and individual customers towards e-commerce, growth of the software industry in terms of its relationship to e-commerce, and the role played by the government. The two nations are compared on four groups of e-commerce factors. Based on existing trends, the major bottlenecks to future growth are also examined and a framework is presented that may help explain the process of e-commerce diffusion in developing countries.

Internet Use and Attitudes Towards Illicit Internet Use Behavior in a Sample of Russian College Students

This study assessed Internet use and attitudes toward illicit use of the Internet in a sample of Russian college students. A sample comprised of 198 students was recruited from a university in Moscow. Each participant completed a survey assessing demographic characteristics, Internet use, and attitudes towards engaging in illicit behaviors over the Internet. About half of the students reported that they used the Internet at least several times a year, with 8% reporting daily use of the Internet. Among Internet users, most reported having Internet access either at home or at a friends' home, and 16 % reported having Internet access from work, school, or a computer center. Among Internet users, the main purpose was for school-related activities (60%), followed by e-mail (55%), entertainment (50%), chatting (24%), and searching for pornography (6%). Although most students thought it was inappropriate to read someone else's e-mail, use someone else's password or credit card information without their permission, or break into someone's computer, many students did endorse those illicit behaviors. Over a fifth of the students reported that they knew hackers. Forty three percent of students agreed that people make too much fuss about watching videos, movies or downloading music on the Internet without paying. Males were more likely than females to report using the Internet for entertainment purposes (p = 0.006) and were more likely to agree that it was okay to break into someone's computer (p = 0.04). The results of this study suggest that these Russian college students predominately use the Internet to help with their schoolwork, to communicate with others, and for entertainment. These results also suggest that interventions may be useful to change attitudes endorsing illicit uses of the Internet.

Age, gender, and Internet attitudes among employees in the business world

This study explored a telecommunication enterprise employees' Internet usage in the business world. A total of 680 employees voluntarily participated in this study. Data collection was conducted through its local telecommunication enterprise intranet and all entries were automatically collected in an electronic format as a spreadsheet. The research findings clearly indicated that the majority of the employees in the business world frequently used an emerging technology – Internet. Statistically significant differences in Internet usefulness and anxiety were found among different education levels, male and female employees, and age groups. Simultaneous multiple regression analyses revealed that the combined effect Internet enjoyment, anxiety, and efficacy contributed significantly to Internet usefulness; and the combined effect of Internet usefulness, enjoyment, and efficacy contributed significantly to Internet anxiety.

Finding Sex Partners On-Line

By the year 2004, it is estimated that more than 34 million older Americans will be Internet users. The revolution in mass communication has changed the way people of all ages interact. Studies indicate that love and romance rate very high among the concerns of older adults using the Internet, and older adults are using it to meet other people. Numerous web sites targeting older adults include channels for developing personal relationships. Although studies suggest that individuals who seek out sex partners on the Internet may be at increased risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases, very little is known about the attitudes and behaviors of older adults who seek and find sexual partners on-line. Because the number of older Internet users is predicted to grow exponentially as baby boomers age, research is needed about the Internet attitudes and practices of older adults.