Computer anxiety : the development of tools to measure severity and type, and offer appropriate mitigation strategies

Abstract

Computer anxiety is a particular anxiety that manifests when the sufferer has to interact with a specific technology. It impacts on the performance and health of those who suffer from it. In spite of, or perhaps because of, the prevalence of computers and technology in the world today, computer anxiety is still presenting in about 25% of the surveyed populations. This work culminates in the presentation of a new instrument, which identifies the type of computer anxiety: operational, sociological or psychological, measures its severity and suggests a range of strategies in order to mitigate the effects of that anxiety, and that this will be the start point in conversations around that support. There are also suggestions for proactive strategies to be adopted by teachers or employers in order to reduce the personal impact, and help sufferers to develop their own mitigation strategies.