Relating Computer-Associated Stress to Computerphobia

Abstract

The associations of computer-related stress, somatic complaints, and computerphobia were studied by administering questionnaires covering demographic data, exposure to computer information, computer-related stress, as measured by the Computer Technology Hassles Scale, somatic complaint items of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, and Rosen, Sears, and Weil's measures of computerphobia: Computer Anxiety Rating Scale, Attitudes Toward Computers Scale, and Computer Thoughts Scale to 109 students. Correlations indicated scores on the Computer Technology Hassles Scale were significantly correlated .35 with somatic complaints, .27 with years used a computer, and .28 with self-rated computer knowledge. The Computer Technology Hassles Scale was not significantly correlated (.18, −.08, and −.05) with the three measures of computerphobia. Computer-related stress appears to be distinct from computerphobia.