Technophobia: The Psychological Impact of Information Technology

233 Pages·1998·3.86 MB·English

by  Mark J. Brosnan

Technophobia
Technology is taking over all aspects of life. Education, work and
leisure are all becoming increasingly dependent on being able to
interact with technology. But what of the academic or career prospects
of those who do not want to interact with this technology?
Studies have shown that up to half of the population is
‘technophobic’, possessing negative opinions about, or having anxiety
towards, information technology such as personal computers. This book
examines the origins of technophobia—what it is, who has it and what
causes it.
The impact of gender upon computer-related attitudes and
anxieties is examined, as it highlights the fact that many computing
activities are stereotypically male. The social and cognitive
psychological factors theorized to underlie technophobia are reviewed
and combined into an overall psychological model of how affective
states interact with cognitive functioning to affect performance on
computer-based tasks. Techniques for reducing technophobia are
discussed, and the effect of technophobia on everyone from school
children to managers is analysed.
Technophobia will be useful both for academic study of the area,
and for those devising IT policy in schools, business and government.
Mark J.Brosnan is Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology at the University
of Greenwich, and has published widely in the area.

Technophobia
The psychological impact of
Information Technology

Mark J.Brosnan

London and New York
First published 1998
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001

© 1998 Mark J.Brosnan
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Brosnan, Mark J.
Technophobia: the psychological impact of information technology
/Mark J.Brosnan.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Information technology—Social aspects. 2. Information
technology—Psychological aspects. I. Title.
HM221.B756 1998
303.48’33–dc21 97–39321
CIP

ISBN 0-203-43670-9 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-74494-2 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-13597-4 (Print Edition)
ISBN 0-415-13596-6 (hbk)
For Deborah

Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgements x
Author’s note xi
Prologue xii
Introduction 1
1 Technophobia: What is it? Does it exist? Who has it? 10
2 Technophobia and gender: Are computers ‘boys’ toys’? 37
3 Technophobia and self efficacy: Is technophobia
indicative of a lack of confidence? 60
4 Technophobia and cognitive style/spatial ability: Is
technophobia indicative of a lack of ability? 79
5 Psychological models of technophobia: Can
technophobia be explained? 102
6 Technophobia in education: Is technophobia becoming
increasingly widespread? 123
7 Technophobia in management: What is the impact
of technophobia on business? 136
8 Technophobia—a broader perspective: What about the
future? 147
9 Technophobia reduction programme: Could this be
the way forward? 158
vii
viii Contents
Conclusions 169
Epilogue 174
References 175
Index 208
Illustrations
FIGURES
2.1 Computer user: Professor 54
2.2 Computer user: Dweeb 54
2.3 Computer user: Boffy Tech 55
2.4 Computer user: Trendy 55
2.5 Computer user: Female unhappy 56
2.6 Computer user: Female happy 56
4.1 Conceptual map 99
5.1 Factors affecting the effectiveness of decision support
systems (DSS) 113
5.2 Change the people (training) or redesign the computers 114
TABLES
2.1 BSRI gender types 47
3.1 The expectations lowered by various psychological
reactions to Information Technology 72
4.1 Average cognitive style scores when presented
traditionally or as a measure of ‘empathy’ 95
6.1 Percentage of females taking GCSEs, A-levels and
University applications by subject in 1996 132
ix