Standardised instruments for measuring computer attitude and computer anxiety are not necessarily standardised

Computer attitude and computer anxiety are two determining constructs of success with computer related work. In order to enhance the learning process, improve performance, reduce computer resistance, and ensure job satisfaction computer attitude should be improved and computer anxiety minimised. Several instruments for measuring these constructs are available in the literature but not all of them are necessarily applicable to people with a different mother tongue and educational profile than that of the original survey group. Negatively worded items can specifically be responsible for inconsistent findings. Two standardised instruments from literature were applied to a group of labourers with below-average education and an indigenous African language as mother tongue. It was found that, although an instrument can still appear to be internally consistent, it may have a different factor structure than originally intended by the compilers. Recommendations are made of aspects to keep in mind when instruments for measuring computer attitude and computer anxiety are developed for people with a different profile.