An Internet survey for perceptions of computers and the World Wide Web: relationship, prediction, and difference

The study focused on three purposes. The first purpose was to examine the relationship between computer attitudes and Web attitudes. The second object was to find the predictor variables on computer attitudes and Web attitudes. And the third purpose was to discuss the differences of demographic factors on computer attitudes and Web attitudes. Moreover, advantages and limitations of the Internet survey were also discussed in this study. The findings showed that there had a significantly positive correlation between students' computer attitudes and Web attitudes. It implied that computer attitudes and Web attitudes could provide concurrent validity to each other. In other words, previous studies of computer attitude scale might be available for surveying learners' attitudes toward the Web. In addition, students' experience in word processors and experience using the Internet/WWW were predictors for both computer attitudes and Web attitudes. Furthermore, the results presented that male students had more positive perceptions toward computer and Web technologies. The results also indicated when students had more years in computer-related experience; they had more positive perceptions to computer and Web technologies. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.