An examination of the correlation between computer anxiety and tool anxiety

Abstract

<p>The purposes of this study were to investigate the relationship between computer anxiety and tool anxiety, to examine if persons with different academic choices differ on the anxiety toward computers or tools and to identify the possible variables which contribute to the prediction of computer anxiety or tool anxiety;A paper and pencil form of questionnaire consisted of 80 items was used for collecting the data. Factor analysis adjusted for sex and major was performed to verify the underlying structure of the instrument. Six orthogonal factors were extracted from the analysis. The six factors were: (1) computer anxiety, (2) math anxiety, (3) tool anxiety, (4) computer attitude, (5) trait anxiety, and (6) tool attitude. Six factor scores which were the sum of the item scores loaded on the factor were used in the analysis of the hypotheses;Four hypotheses were formulated and tested in this study. It was found that the correlation between computer anxiety and tool anxiety was significantly different from 0 for male subjects majoring in Physics, Engineering, Psychology, Sociology, and Industrial Education and Technology. However, this difference did not exist for the female subjects in this study. Results of the study also indicated that subjects with different academic majors differed with reference to computer anxiety, while males and females differed with reference to the tool anxiety;When examining the possible variables which contributed to the prediction of computer anxiety or tool anxiety, it was found that the mother's education level was the most common predictor variable for computer anxiety and tool anxiety. For computer anxiety, the number of courses taken using computers entered into the regression model first. For tool anxiety, the number of courses taken using tools or machines was the first predictor variable entered into the regression model.</p>