Computer Anxiety

Negative emotions and cognition processes — including fear, intimidation, apprehension, and hostility — evoked during actual or imagined interaction with computer-based technology. Computer Anxiety is a significant accessibility barrier particularly prevalent among older adults and people with limited technology experience. It manifests as avoidance of computers, poor task performance, longer task completion times, and erratic interaction patterns such as excessive clicking and frequent pauses. Computer Anxiety is strongly inversely correlated with Computer Self-Efficacy and can be exacerbated by poor usability and inaccessible design. Research has shown it can be detected automatically through analysis of interaction logs, enabling adaptive interfaces that provide personalized support.