BON APPETIT FOR APPS: YOUNG AMERICAN CONSUMERS' ACCEPTANCE OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS

The study integrated the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Technology Acceptance Model, and the Uses and Gratification Theory to predict young American consumers' mobile apps attitudes, intent and use. The model was tested by a web survey of 555 American college students in winter, 2011. SEM results show that young American consumers' attitudes and intent predict their use of mobile applications. Perceived enjoyment, usefulness, ease of use and subjective norm emerge as significant predictors of their mobile apps attitudes. Perceived behavioral control, usefulness, and mobile Internet use predict their intent to use mobile applications. Their use of mobile applications is determined by perceived usefulness, intent to use, mobile Internet use, income and gender. Implications for academia and industry are discussed.