Computer Anxiety and Interaction: A Systematic Review
Thiago Donizetti dos Santos, Vagner Figueredo de Santana · 2018 · Proceedings of the 15th International Web for All Conference (W4A 2018) · doi:10.1145/3192714.3192825
Summary
This paper presents a systematic review of 111 papers on Computer Anxiety (CA) in the context of Human-Computer Interaction, synthesising research spanning 1986-2017 across four databases (Springer, ACM, IEEExplore, PubMed). Computer Anxiety is defined as negative emotions and cognitions evoked in actual or imaginary interaction with computer-based technology — encompassing intimidation, fear, apprehension, hostility, and worries about embarrassment, appearing stupid, or damaging the computer. CA is also associated with measurable physiological changes including increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and electrodermal response. The review focused on the Computer Anxiety Rating Scale (CARS), the most widely used measurement instrument, to investigate how many studies used it, what other scales were combined with it, what metrics correlate with CA, whether interaction patterns differ for different CARS values, participant demographics, and statistically significant group differences. The review excluded studies involving participants with dementia, cognitive deficit, or diagnosed depression to isolate CA from comorbid conditions. Research on CA peaked in the 2000s with approximately 60 publications in that decade, followed by a decline in the 2010s — despite the growing importance of the topic as technology becomes increasingly essential for daily life, employment, and accessing services.
Key findings
CARS was present in 34 of the 111 selected papers (30.63%), confirming its dominance; the Computer Attitude Scale was used in 10 papers and the Computer Anxiety Scale in 9. Computer Self-Efficacy (the belief in one’s ability to perform tasks on a computer) has a strong negative relationship with CA — as self-efficacy increases, anxiety decreases, and vice versa. Computer experience is the strongest predictor of CA: 24 of 26 papers studying experience found a significant negative relationship, meaning more experience reduces anxiety. Users who became acquainted with computers at early ages have less anxiety. Higher education levels are generally associated with lower CA, with only one study finding no relationship. On gender, results are contradictory: 18 of 39 studies found no gender difference, while 16 of 17 that did find a difference reported females having more anxiety than males — though some evidence suggests occupation, activities, and feminine-identity/sex-role are more related to CA than gender itself. On age, results are similarly mixed: 7 papers found no relationship while 9 found older people have more anxiety, though confounding factors like experience, stereotypes, and pace of technological change complicate interpretation. For interaction patterns, people with high CA take longer to complete tasks, have low task completion rates, and exhibit physical signs of discomfort (blood pressure changes, perspiration). These physiological signals could potentially be measured automatically to detect CA in real time.
Relevance
This systematic review is particularly valuable for accessibility practitioners working with older adults and other populations at risk of digital exclusion. The finding that CA is primarily driven by low self-efficacy and lack of experience — rather than being an inherent trait — means it can be addressed through design and training interventions. The practical implications are clear: systems should be designed to build self-efficacy through good first experiences, simple interfaces, and adequate guidance; training and education demonstrably reduce CA; accessible and easy-to-use systems increase self-efficacy, which in turn reduces anxiety, creating a virtuous cycle. The identification of measurable interaction patterns (longer task times, physiological changes) opens the possibility of automated CA detection that could trigger personalised interface adaptations or support. Notably, none of the 111 reviewed papers were published in accessibility-focused venues like W4A, suggesting that the accessibility community has not adequately engaged with CA as a barrier — despite its disproportionate impact on the older adults and less experienced users who are a core concern of accessibility research. The review bridges this gap by framing CA explicitly as an accessibility issue.
Tags: computer anxiety · older adults · aging · digital inclusion · self-efficacy · accessibility barriers · user experience · systematic review · technology adoption · digital divide