A Study of the Impact of Individual Differences on Online Shopping

Previous studies explored the effects of individual cognitive and affective reactions on online shopping and those of individual differences on usage of information systems. However, few studies evaluated how individual differences affect online shopping. This paper draws on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the technology acceptance model (TAM) as it attempts to gain understanding of individual difference impacts on online shopping attitudes. The model was tested using data collected from a Web survey, and 171 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Results show that online shopping experience, level of Internet usage, cognitive absorption, personal innovativeness, and computer self-efficacy positively influence online shopping attitudes, and that perceived usefulness is a significant mediator, but only between online shopping attitudes and two individual differences variables: the level of Internet usage and cognitive absorption.