Measuring perceived physiological vulnerability to IT usage: an initial test in a virtual reality-based learning environment

Abstract

The psychological effects of information technology (IT) use have been widely reported and assessed in the literature. However, although concerns are growing regarding the potential physiological impacts of IT use on the health of IT users, assessment of this issue is currently hampered by the lack of an appropriate information-system (IS) physiological scale. Given the limited utility of existing self-report instruments, the main purpose of this study is to develop an instrument to measure perceived physiological vulnerability to IT use (PPVITU). This study introduces and defines a PPVITU construct, validates this construct and its basic dimensions empirically, develops a generic PPVITU instrument with appropriate psychometric properties, and examines the theoretical and practical applications of this instrument. After analyzing data provided by 308 IT-user respondents, this study proposes a 4-factor, 17-item PPVITU instrument. The authors expect that this empirically validated instrument will be useful to researchers working to develop and test theories of educational technology use as well as to educators working to better understand student perceptions of physiological vulnerability to IT and educational-technology use.