Exploring Individual User Attitudes Towards Performancewith Web Search Engines: An Extension Study

摘要

As the Internet fulfills an increasingly important role in society, study into human behavior and interaction with thetechnology becomes key to the development of improved systems. As a result, the research agenda of the authors seeks toidentify the role of individual differences with users of technology and its subsequent impact on performance. In this initialstudy, we examine an instance of individual differences with users of the World Wide Web by evaluating user attitudes andperformance with Web search engines. Search engine importance is connected to their role as the primary vehicle forlocating content on the Internet. Prior research into user attitude has shown a connection with use of technology. In our studywe replicate, extend, and critique an investigation conducted by Liaw and Huang (2003) into user attitudes toward searchengines as information retrieval tools. Liaw and Huang found that factors such as individual computer experience, quality ofsearch systems, motivation, and perceptions of technology acceptance impact users desire to use search engines as a tool forinformation retrieval. However, the connection is not drawn to actual individual user performance with a searching task.Based upon the analysis of our data, we were unable to replicate the results achieved in the Liaw and Huang study or draw aconnection between these factors and performance. This finding, that our analysis yielded different results, supports the needfor further investigation into individual differences and suggests areas for future research.