AN EXPLORATION OF THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR ASSESSING ATTITUDES TOWARD COMPUTERS - THE COMPUTER ATTITUDE MEASURE (CAM)

Over the past 10 years, researchers have assessed over 15 different constructs with respect to computer attitudes, making it difficult to interpret and compare studies using these attitude measures. An absence of theoretical justification for many constructs further complicates interpretation. In this study, four theoretically distinct constructs (cognitive, affective, behavioral, and perceived control), based on over 45 years of general attitude scale development, are examined in the form of the Computer Attitude Measure (CAM). This measure, consisting of 50 items, was administered to 647 preservice teachers to assess cognitive (student, personal, general), affective, behavioral (classroom and home), and perceived control components of computer attitudes. The internal reliability coefficient for the full measure was .95. The alpha coefficients for each attitude subscale ranged from .70 to .97. The principal components factor analysis supported the a priori assumption that the four attitude dimensions and their subscales were structurally independent. Significant positive correlations (p < .001) among all attitude subscales and computer awareness, software skill, and programming provided support for the construct validity of the CAM. Strong theoretical foundations coupled with the promising statistical results of this study suggest that the four-dimension model may be one way to reorganize and assess the multitude of constructs already identified by computer attitude researchers.