Abbreviated Technology Anxiety Scale (ATAS)

Abbreviated Technology Anxiety Scale (ATAS)

Description

The Abbreviated Technology Anxiety Scale (ATAS; Wilson et al., 2023) is an 11-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure an individual’s level of technology anxiety (TA). The development of the ATAS began with an initial pool of 21 negatively-worded items, formulated based on a definition by Wilson (2018) and a comprehensive literature review. Through multiple rounds of piloting with undergraduate student samples and content review, the scale was refined to its final 11-item version. This revised set includes items that were retained or adapted from earlier phases to ensure content validity, while also removing problematic items and introducing new ones based on previous findings. The items specifically aim to capture individuals’ personal sentiments and emotional responses towards information and communication technology. A confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional model for the data, and results regarding internal consistency and criterion validity have been reported.

Purpose

The ATAS quantifies a person’s degree of technology anxiety.

Validity

Criterion Validity: The study found significant correlations, indicating that technology anxiety as measured by the ATAS was:

• Negatively and strongly correlated with attitudes toward technology (r = − 0.65, p < 0.001).

• Negatively and moderately correlated with self-efficacy toward technology (r = − 0.47, p < 0.001).

• Negatively and moderately correlated with frequency of technology use (r = − 0.28, p < 0.001).
  Content Validity: Items were retained or revised from prior phases for content validity, and problematic items were removed while new items were added based on prior phase results.

Reliability

Internal Consistency: The omega coefficient for the 11 items was 0.95, indicating excellent internal consistency.

Factor Analysis

Confirmatory Factor Analysis: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) demonstrated acceptable unidimensional fit to the data, with the following fit indices: χ²(44) = 195.70, p < 0.001; RMSEA = 0.10; CFI = 0.97; TLI = 0.97. A complementary exploratory factor analysis revealed a single factor with a very dominant eigenvalue, further supporting the unidimensional structure.

Instrument

• Test Type: Original Rating Scale

• Format: Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale, with responses ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree.

• Language Available: English.

• Population Group: Human (Male, Female, Non-Binary, Third-Gender, Other sexual orientations reported).

• Age Group: Adulthood (18 years & older).

• Population Details: The study participants were college students located in the United States.

• Test Methodology: Test Validity, Content Validity, Criterion Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

Keywords

Feelings, Information and Communication Technology, Technology Anxiety, Computer Anxiety, Human Computer Interaction, Negative Emotions, Human Computer Interaction Measures, Information and Communication Technology.

Authors

• Wilson, Matthew L.

  • Author ORCID Identifier: orcid.org/0000-0003-4548-921X

  • Affiliation: Kennesaw State University

  • Email: [email protected]

  • Correspondence Address: Kennesaw State University, 585 Cobb Avenue Kennesaw Hall – MD Box #0127, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States, 30144-5591, [email protected]

• Huggins-Manley, Anne Corinne

  • Affiliation: University of Florida

• Ritzhaupt, Albert D.

  • Author ORCID Identifier: orcid.org/0000-0002-0655-8633

  • Affiliation: University of Florida

• Ruggles, Krista

  • Affiliation: Utah Valley University

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

• Permissions: Contact Corresponding Author.

• Fee: No.

• Test Year: 2023.

References

Wilson, M. L., Huggins-Manley, A. C., Ritzhaupt, A. D., & Ruggles, K. (2023). Development of the Abbreviated Technology Anxiety Scale (ATAS). Behavior Research Methods, 55(1), 185–199. doi.org/10.3758/s13428-022-01820-9

Items of the Abbreviated Technology Anxiety Scale (ATAS)

No data is Available.

files

No file is available.