NJIT eTD: The New Jersey Institute of Technology's electronic Theses & Dissertations
Title:
Computer anxiety's impact on computer user documentation
Author:
Moore, Brenda Y.
Document Type:
Thesis
Department:
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Degree:
Master of Science
Major:
Professional and Technical Communication
Advisory Committee:
Coppola, Nancy
Fleischer, Doris Zames
Kies, Jonathan
Harmon, John
Thesis Date:
2000, May
Keywords:
Computers--User Anxiety
Computers--User Documentation
Rogers, Carl (1902-1987)
Rogerian Theory
Minimalism
Availability:
Unrestricted
Abstract:
Computer anxiety is the fear or avoidance of the computer and the environment it represents. The anxiety can manifest in all computer users regardless of their experience or complexity of the tasks they must complete. The anxiety can be alleviated on one task, but as technology changes and advances, the user's comfort level is compromised and the anxiety reappears. Understanding computer anxiety as it relates to computer user documentation is a compelling research question. Although there have been many efforts to understand computer anxiety, there has been no clear way for technical communicators to resolve this problem in their approach to writing computer user documentation.

This study will determine the impact of computer anxiety on the preparation of computer user documentation as well as attempt to apply Carl Rogers "Rogerian" theory to computer anxiety as a means of describing what needs to happen in fostering a positive interaction between the user and the computer. In addition, a discussion of the "Minimalist Manual," as an effective computer user documentation strategy will show a parallel between features of minimalism and the "Rogerian" theory.

Complete Thesis:
njit-etd2000-042 (72 pages ~ 3,354 KB pdf)
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Created December 06, 2001
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