Determining the intention to use biometric devices: An application and extension of the technology acceptance model

Protection of physical assets and digital information is of growing importance to society. As with any new technology, user acceptance of new software and hardware devices is often hard to gauge, and policies to introduce and ensure adequate and correct usage of such technologies are often lacking. Security technologies have widespread applicability to different organizational contexts that may present unusual and varied adoption considerations. This study adapts the technology acceptance model (TAM) and extends it to study the intention to use biometrics devices across a wide variety of organizational contexts. Due to the use of physiological characteristics, biometrics present unique adoption concerns. TAM is extended in this study to include constructs for perceived need for privacy, perceived need for security and perceived physical invasiveness of biometric devices as factors that influence intention to use. The model is shown to be a good predictor of intention to use biometric devices. Copyright © 2006, Idea Group Inc.