The Effect of Computer Anxiety on Price Value Trade-Off in the On-Line Environment

This research adds to the understanding of how consumers' comfort with computers influences their evaluation of prices for goods offered over the Internet. The effect of computer anxiety, under different motivational conditions, on the evaluation of price for a product in an on-line environment was examined with the use of an experimental design. The results indicate that computer anxiety interacts with motivation to influence price perceptions, in a manner consistent with predictions derived from the process theories of attitude formation and change. Specifically, in the high-motivation condition, subjects with a greater level of computer anxiety viewed high price as indicative of higher value than those with less computer anxiety (who evaluated the low price as better value). In the low-motivation condition, both groups linked high price with higher perceived quality than the low price level.