This study queried 1,215 American adults in Metropolitan Los Angeles three times over a six-month
period from the end of 1994 through the Spring of 1995. Each subject completed a comprehensive survey designed
to assess awareness of the Information Superhighway, interest in Information Superhighway services, willingness
to pay for Information Superhighway service, demographic data and psychological reactions to technology.
TABLE 1: SAMPLE DEMOGRAPHICS.
The entire sample was compared to the the latest (1990) census figures to determine how well
it matched the general population. Overall, the sample in this study was slightly younger and slightly more educated
than expected from the U.S. census. The sample also presented a much more ethnically diverse mixture (the U.S.
census shows that the population is 76% white). An interesting finding was that the study sample showed a substantially
higher home computer ownership (51% compared to under 35% of the US population) and more computer training (40%
claimed to have more than 10 hours of computer training!).
- Sample Demographics (N = 1,215)
|
| Gender Breakdown |
Sample Percentages
|
|
Male
|
51%
|
|
Female
|
49%
|
| |
|
Age Breakdown
|
|
|
18-25
|
30%
|
|
26-35
|
32%
|
|
36-50
|
26%
|
|
51-64
|
10%
|
|
65 or older
|
2%
|
| |
|
Ethnic Breakdown
|
|
|
Asian
|
15%
|
|
Black
|
22%
|
|
Hispanic
|
19%
|
|
White
|
45%
|
| |
|
Education Level
|
|
|
No High School Degree
|
4%
|
|
High School Degree
|
17%
|
|
Some College
|
39%
|
|
4 Year College Degree
|
31%
|
|
Post-Graduate Work
|
10%
|
| |
|
Family Income
|
|
|
under $10,000
|
11%
|
|
$10,000 - $25,000
|
25%
|
|
$25,000 - $40,000
|
26%
|
|
$40,000 - $65,000
|
22%
|
|
over $65,000
|
16%
|
| |
|
Home Computer
|
|
|
Own Home Computer
|
51%
|
|
Not Own Home Computer
|
49%
|
| © 1995 Larry D. Rosen & Michelle M. Weil |
TABLE 2: ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS TOWARD TECHNOLOGY
Research by our lab (see our recent book chapter in the list of references included in this web
site) and others (MCI, consumer research) has shown that people react to technology in a characteristic fashion.
Some are Eager Adopters who embrace technology as soon as it is released. The Eager Adopters enjoy technology,
expect it to have problems and find solving the problems stimulating and fun. About 10%-15% of the population are
Eager Adopters (MCI's 1994 study of business executives found 12%). Hesitant "Prove Its" form the largest
group (50%-60% in general; 59% in MCI's study). Hesitant "Prove Its" are not anti-technology, nor are
they usually technophobic (although they may be). Rather, they are waiting on the sidelines for someone to show
them how technology can help them. They want to know how technology will specifically make their life easier. Hesitant
"Prove Its" know that technology has problems and they do not necessarily enjoy dealing with those problems.
They would rather wait on the sidelines until there are no problems.
Resisters still make up 30%-40% of the population (29% in MCI's study). Resisters avoid technology.
They do not like it, want it or find it enjoyable. They know that technology has problems and take technological
snafus as reflecting a personal shortcoming. Although many Resisters are technophobic, some are not.
The table below shows that this sample matched the previous research fairly closely with 18%
seen as Eager Adopters and 34% as Resisters. The right side of the table shows that 37% of the sample rated themselves
as moderately to highly technophobic and another 23% rated themselves as mildly technophobic. These figures actually
show a slightly elevated level of self-rated technophobia compared with previous work by our lab and others.
|
REACTIONS TO TECHNOLOGY
|
LEVEL OF TECHNOPHOBIA
|
| Eager Adopters |
18% |
Not Technophobic |
40% |
| Hesitant "Prove Its" |
48% |
Mildly Technophobic |
23% |
| Resisters |
34% |
Moderately to Highly Technophobic |
37% |
| © 1995 Larry D. Rosen & Michelle M. Weil |
TABLE 3: KNOWLEDGE OF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY
This table shows that one-fourth of the population has heard only a little about the Information
Superhighway and another one-fourth has heard nothing. (A recent Harris poll found similar figures -- only 48%
of their sample had heard anything at all and only one-fourth claimed to have a reasonable understanding of what
the Information Superhighway actually meant.) Those who had heard about the Information Superhighway appeared to
gain most of their knowledge through the television.
|
"How much have you heard about the Information Superhighway?
|
Where did you learn the most about the Information Superhighway?
|
| Quite a bit |
27%
|
Television |
42%
|
| A little |
47%
|
Magazines |
16%
|
| Nothing |
26%
|
Newspapers |
15%
|
| © 1995 Larry D. Rosen & Michelle M. Weil |
TABLE 4: INTEREST IN THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY
This table shows that only slightly more than half the sample claimed to be "Very Interested"
in five services, two financial (paying bills and banking), two entertainment oriented (video on-demand and television
on-demand) and the other the ability to telecommute. These figures compared favorably to a survey done by MacWorld
magazine in Fall 1994.) When asked how much they would be willing to pay for these services, only 28% stated they
would be willing to pay $30 or more per month for all services. Another 29% were willing to pay $21 to $30 per
month.
|
FUTURE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY SERVICE
|
PERCENTAGE OF SAMPLE WHO WERE "VERY INTERESTED"
|
| Pay your bills from your home television |
59%
|
| Ability to work from home |
57%
|
| Video movies on demand |
54%
|
| Ability to watch television shows at any time |
53%
|
| Banking through your home television |
52%
|
| Search an encyclopedia through your home TV |
49%
|
| Pay your income taxes through your home TV |
44%
|
| Send electronic mail from home |
43%
|
| View college classes on television |
42%
|
| Read library books on your home television |
38%
|
| View your medical records on your home TV |
37%
|
| Shop from home through your television |
33%
|
| Play games on your home television |
32%
|
| Read a newspaper on your home television |
30%
|
| Read magazines on your home television |
29%
|
| Join discussion groups with other people |
29%
|
| © 1995 Larry D. Rosen & Michelle M. Weil |
TABLE 5: PREDICTORS OF INTEREST IN THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY
Using a series of Stepwise Multiple Regression equations, an optimal set of variables was extracted
to predict who would be interested in services on the Information Superhighway. Services were combined all together
as well as into groupings of Entertainment Services, Financial Services, Educational Services and Other Services
(electronic mail, discussion groups, medical records access and telecommuting). Results clearly indicate that the
best predictor for all but entertainment services was a composite measure of Technophobia or psychological reactions
to technology. In terms of relative weight (beta weights shown in the figure), Technophobia was at least twice
as important as any other variable in predicting usage of all services combined and financial, educational and
other services separately. Age was the second best predictor in all these cases.
|
PREDICTORS OF INTEREST IN THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY
|
|
Multiple Regression Steps
|
All Services Combined
|
Entertainment Services
|
Financial Services
|
Educational Services
|
Other Services
|
|
Step 1
|
Technophobia (.31)
|
Age (.19)
|
Technophobia (.22)
|
Technophobia (.29)
|
Technophobia (.33)
|
|
Step 2
|
Age (.16)
|
Technophobia (.15)
|
Age (.11)
|
Age (.10)
|
Age (.08)
|
|
Step 3
|
Asian (.13)
|
Asian (.14)
|
Hispanic (.11)
|
Education (.08)
|
Education (.08)
|
|
Step 4
|
Black (.13)
|
Black (.14)
|
Education (.04)
|
Black (.10)
|
Own a PC (.07)
|
|
Step 5
|
Hispanic (.10)
|
|
|
Asian (.09)
|
Black (.09)
|
|
Step 6
|
Education (.06)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Step 7
|
Own a PC (.06)
|
|
|
|
|
| © 1995 Larry D. Rosen & Michelle M. Weil |
LONGITUDINAL TRENDS
When the three samples, collected over a six-month period, were examined for trends over time,
very little change was observed. There was no increase in how much was known about the Information Superhighway,
and interest in most specific services stayed constant. The amount that people were willing to pay also remained
constant over time.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the American public is not ready to eagerly embrace the coming Information
Superhighway until their general discomfort with technology is reduced or eliminated. Other work from our lab suggests
that having a calm, relaxed, jargon-free person introduce new technology by providing a personal motivation is
critical to future comfort and acceptance.
How much are Americans aware
of the Information Superhighway?