VALIDATING THE COMPUTER ANXIETY RATING-SCALE - EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE-STYLE AND COMPUTER COURSES ON COMPUTER ANXIETY

In this paper, the validity of a newly developed computer anxiety questionnaire, the Computer Anxiety Rating Scale (CARS) of Heinssen, Glass, and Knight (1987), is tested. Expectations are developed about how a valid measure of computer anxiety would behave in response to several demographic traits and cognitive styles, and evidence is gathered about the expectations. Factor analysis is used to identify factors of computer anxiety underlying the CARS. In general, the CARS is found to be a valid instrument. Four items in the CARS, however, systematically behave differently from expectations and therefore may not properly measure computer anxiety. Cognitive style is shown to be an important determinant of computer anxiety, with intuitive and thinking individuals exhibiting lower anxiety than their sensing and feeling counterparts. Computer courses may be useful in reducing anxiety for some anxiety factors for some cognitive styles. © 1991.