Abstract
Human-technology interaction research has benefited from the insights of cognitive psychology and, more recently, from research on human emotion and affect. Yet, there is a dearth of research that goes deeper into the human mind towards imprinting, instincts, and the collective unconscious. The goal of this study was to uncover the product archetype(s) of personal computer experiences. Young adult men and women were asked to recall their very first personal computer experiences. The narrative structure of these earliest recollections matched several of the stages of the archetypal hero's journey as described by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The personal computer appeared to be an alchemical tool or book for success on each person's journey, offering the magic and power of game play, communication, information, creativity, sensory interactions, and portability.
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