Ability, motivation, opportunity and sociodemographic determinants of Internet usage in Malaysia

摘要

Further to the binary notion of accessibility and lack of accessibility to digital technology, this study examines Internet usage as the outcome of choice made by an individual to use the Internet. In identifying the determinants of choice, this study integrates the social cognitive theory notion of the human agency with the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) framework. The results of path modeling analysis of the data collected from 270 respondents in Malaysia showed that digital skill was the most significant predictor of Internet usage. Opportunity and extrinsic motivation were also significant predictors, whereas intrinsic motivation had no significant effect on Internet usage. Besides, the findings revealed that the traditional sociodemographic determinants of the digital divide are still prevalent in Malaysia.