The Role of Computer Attitudes in Enhancing Computer Competence in Training

Computer competence is poorly conceptualized and inconsistently measured. This study clarifies computer competence and examines its relationship with anxiety, affect, and pessimism, along with self-efficacy and previous experience. Using a survey of 610 end users, the strengths of anxiety, affect (positive), pessimism, self-efficacy, and previous experience were compared for nine different competency measures in seven different domains, including word processing, email applications, spreadsheets, graphic programs, databases, web design, and overall computing. Results suggest that for most domains, affect and anxiety are significant predictors, as are self-efficacy and previous experience, but pessimism is not. In addition, competence in a domain was found to mediate the relationship between competence and its antecedents. These results suggest that organizations focus not only on skills training, but on ways to enhance computing attitudes during the training process.