ROLE OF GENDER, PERSONALITY AND COGNITIVE VARIABLES IN TECHNOPHOBIA

Technophobia has been an enduring problem in §industrial economies over the last 25 years. Though §explanatory models have been proposed to explain the §prevalence of technophobia, these efforts have been §diffuse, contradictory, and lacking in integration §and explanatory utility. Specifically, the role of §molar personality variables and cognitive §characteristics has not been investigated in detail §in the existing literature. This study aims to fill §this gap. Eight research hypotheses are developed §to examine the role of: (i) personality variables §proposed by the Big Five theory of personality, (ii) §gender, (iii) contextual variable represented by §framing, and (iv) cognitive variables such as math §skills and intellectual orientation in the §explanation of technophobia. Using data gathered §from 242 subjects at a private university, the §research hypotheses are tested using multiple §regression, t-tests, and correlation analysis. §Personality and cognitive variables are found to §have significant correlations with Technophobia. §Significant effects due to framing are observed, §whereas gender is found to have no impact on §Technophobia.