Neural correlates of technological ambivalence: A research proposal

Abstract

Individuals’ reactions to a new technology have been studied extensively in information systems and other literatures. We suggest that one of the possible dispositions to a new technology, ambivalence, has not been studied much in the information systems research. Ambivalence refers to a state of having both positive and negative orientations toward an object simultaneously. Our conjecture is that it is possible for an individual to have such a reaction toward a new technology. In addition to having both positive and negative orientations, ambivalence may also represent as cognition and/or emotion. We suggest that such a complex reaction and/or state can be better understood using a neurophysiological approach because this approach will help us disentangle various facets and temporal dynamics of ambivalence. In this proposed research, we seek to conduct an empirical study to understand the neural correlates of ambivalence toward a technology.