Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter XV
The Importance of Ease of
Use, Usefulness, and Trust to
Online Consumers:
An Examination of the
Technology Acceptance Model with
Older Consumers
Donna Weaver McCloskey
Widener University, USA
abstraCt
This research examines electronic commerce participation and attitudes by older Americans. Questionnaires
were distributed at a large retirement community and several senior centers located in Pennsylvania. The
sample of 110 respondents ranged in age from 52 to 87. Fifty-nine percent reported purchasing an item
online in the last 6 months. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used and modified to examine
the impact attitudes concerning ease of use, usefulness and trust had on electronic commerce usage.
Usefulness and trust were found to have a positive, direct affect on usage. Ease of use had significant
impacts on usefulness and trust had a significant impact on both ease of use and usefulness. The chapter
concludes with a discussion of these results, study limitations, and directions for future research.
introduCtion
aged 65 and over was estimated to be 420 million
people as of midyear 2000, an increase of 9.5 mil-
lion since midyear 1999. Growth in this segment
of the population is expected to continue rapidly.
In 2000 12.6% of the North American population
Older adults comprise a large and growing seg-
ment of the population. According to the U.S.
Census Bureau (2002), the global population
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