The relationship between computer related attitudes and gender stereotyping of computer use

Abstract The Computer Attitude Scale was completed by 378 first year undergraduate students, together with questions regarding the gender stereotyping of computer use. No significant sex differences were found in scores recorded on the Computer Attitude Scale or its three sub-scales. Only a small minority of students held gender stereotyping views of computer use. Among this minority more female students tended to think that women were better at using computers than men, while more male students tended to think that men was associated with greater computer anxiety and an overall less favourable attitude towards computers among both male and female students. The suspicion that women are better at computer use is detrimental to male students' attitudes towards computers, just as the suspicion that men are better at computer use is detrimental to female students' attitudes towards computer use.

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