The Effects of Psychosocial Factors on Indian Children's Attitudes toward Computers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of such psychosocial factors as computer experience, computer usage, future plans regarding computers, and various types of anxiety on children's attitudes toward computers. Subjects consisted of 120 males and 159 females in grades six (N = 120) and seven (N = 159), who were enrolled in two single-sex, private, residential schools in Dehru Dun, India. The Bath County Computer Attitudes Survey was used to measure attitudes toward computers. The Spielberger Trait-Anxiety Scale and the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Anxiety Scale were used to measure subjects' trait anxiety and mathematics anxiety levels, respectively. Results indicated that computer experience, usage, future plans, trait anxiety, and mathematics anxiety were significant factors in predicting computer attitudes. The results were consistent with similar research on North American children. Educational implications of these findings are discussed.

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