Applying minimalist design principles to the problem of computer anxiety

Computer anxiety is one possible barrier to acquisition of computer skills. To rest whether an instructional intervention could decrease computer anxiety while training subjects in basic word-processing skills, instruction was developed according to the minimalist design principles of John Carroll and was compared with a commercially available instructional unit. The design of the experiment was a repeated measures control group with random assignment of subjects. Two instructional sessions were held, separated by 1 month. Subjects were pre- and posttested with respect to computer anxiety during each instructional session. Subjects worked on two similar word-processing tasks, a practice and a transfer task, during the first instructional session and on another similar word-processing task during the second instructional session. Subjects' performances on the word-processing tasks were scored according to a performance checklist. For the experimental group, there was a statistically significant decrease in computer anxiety immediately following the first instructional treatment. For the control group, there was also a decrease in computer anxiety, but this occurred over the I-month experimental time-frame. Both experimental and control treatments were equally effective in training subjects to perform the word-processing tasks. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd