Examining Effects of Cognitive Style on Technology Acceptance Decisions

Acceptance of information technology by targeted users has been examined considerably by previous information systems (IS) research. A review of extant literature suggests a focus on the effects of important individual differences, such as attitidinal beliefs, perceptions, basic computer skills, gender, and age. Several theoretical models or frameworks prevail and have been empirically tested using various technologies and/or organizational contexts. Few studies (if any) have investigated the impact of an individual’s cognitive style on his or her technology acceptance decision. The current research discusses the relationship between cognitive style and technology acceptance and empirically tests hypotheses it suggests. We anchor our analysis using the KAI cognitive theory (Kirtons 1977) and conducts a survey study to test the effect of cognitive style on the individual’s decision on whether to accept a new technology. We synthesize relevant previous research and propose a factor model that explains or predicts technology acecptance by targeted university students. Our model encompasses the effect of cognitive styl and includes other important acceptance drivers, and is tested empirically using the evaluative respeonses to Microsoft ACCESS by 428 undergraduate students. An investigative locus of our study is comparing the responses by innvotors and adapters. We observe that cognitive style to have a significant effect on the individual’s technology acceptance decision-making, and that innovators are more likely to accept a new technology than adaptors. Using the subjects’ responses, we test the model as a whole as well as the hypotheses it suggests. Based on our data analysis, we highlight our important findings and discuss their implications to user acceptance research as well as the practices for fostering use of information technology by university students.