The study of information technology involves more than knowing how computer systems, software and networks operate. It is also about understanding the people who use technology—how and why they use it. At the University of Tennessee’s Halsam College of Business, business cybersecurity faculty members like Yuan Li, assistant professor of accounting and information management, are investigating the human side of IT to determine how opinions and attitudes affect adoption and what those decisions mean to greater society.
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Exploring the Role of Cultural Worldviews & Technology Awareness
Technology is powerful; IT innovation enables us to solve various pressing global issues. Government agencies and public works departments have begun to embrace technology to help solve many complex challenges. Securing public buy-in has proven a more substantial challenge.
Li’s latest research explores public acceptance of technology, specifically focusing on whether an individual’s cultural worldview affects technology adoption. For this study, Li and his research colleague looked at digital contact tracing (DCT) use in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. If 80% of cellphone users (equalling 56% of the general population) had used the DCT app during the pandemic, its positive impacts could have included slowing the spread of the virus, averting lockdowns and expediting economic recovery. At the time of Li’s study, however, only 24 states and the District of Columbia provided the apps to their constituents, and less than 29% of Americans planned to use them during the pandemic. Why did the technology’s adoption rate remain so low, even in the face of government efforts to inform the public about the benefits?
What is Digital Contact Tracing (DCT)?
Using smartphone Bluetooth technology, state-sponsored digital contract tracing apps provide a safe, instant and anonymous method to report new cases of COVID-19. Through this mobile reporting, exposed people can be immediately identified, notified and provided with treatment recommendations—an immediate process that would take much longer and be less effective if completed manually.
Even though apps like these are subject to rigorous safety and usability testing, their ultimate success relies on public support. If the population has doubts about the benefits or concerns about the risks, the resulting low participation rate can drastically reduce the technology’s adoption.
Public Perception & Awareness of DCT
Previous research on information systems suggests that individuals will form a more positive attitude toward new technologies if they are educated about their features and benefits. However, despite assurances from health professionals and technology developers that the DCT app protected the privacy and identities of users, public trust remained low.
The public acceptance of DCT apps was marred by debates in the media over the app’s benefits and risks. Some news outlets reported that coronavirus apps would help the general public by reducing infections, but others raised alarms about potential data breaches and the misuse of personal information. These objections prompted some citizens to communicate their concerns to state legislators, many of whom then obstructed the implementation of DCT apps in their states.
Li and his colleague hypothesized that an individual’s likelihood of adopting a new technology is not singularly contingent on understanding its technical features but instead is influenced by their cultural worldview. Other studies have suggested that one’s general social, cultural, and political values (or cultural worldview) influenced their support for social distancing and self-quarantine. Would the supposition hold for DCT adoption analysis?
What They Found: How Worldviews Influence Adoption of New Technologies
To test his hypothesis that cultural worldviews affect individuals’ perceptions about DCT, Li and his colleague surveyed over 1,000 respondents in 41 states and Washington, DC. Participants answered questions about COVID-19, their level of trust in state government, their cultural worldviews, their opinions about the benefits and risks of the app, their technological understanding and demographics. These questions aimed to determine how participants obtained information about DCT and how they interpreted that information.
To better understand the motivations of different groups, Li defined cultural worldviews along two dimensions:
- GROUP WORLDVIEW: measures the extent to which one believes that addressing personal needs should be a collective responsibility rather than an individual one
- High-group worldview emphasizes the common good and shared responsibility
- Low-group worldview emphasizes self-interests and focuses on individual efforts
- GRID WORLDVIEW: measures the extent to which one believes that behaviors should be regulated based on values and attitudes pertaining to social stratification and deviance from prevailing norms and roles
- High-grid worldview emphasizes the authority of social elites
- Low-grid worldview emphasizes equality, fairness and justice
Li’s team concluded that cultural worldviews greatly influence the perceived benefits and risks of DCT. These opinions then motivate individuals to use or not use the app. In the framework of group and grid worldview, the findings showed that individuals with high-group or low-grid worldviews positively perceived the benefits of DCT and negatively viewed privacy concerns.
As an extension of this research, Li and his research partner studied whether cultural worldviews affected an existing user’s likelihood of continuing use. The results suggest that cultural worldviews may be more influential when the technology is unfamiliar. As a user gains experience, the benefits can become more evident. Experience with the app, however, might not eliminate concerns over data security.
Because media outlets provided conflicting information about DCT adoption—some promoting its benefits and others warning of security dangers—public opinions about DCT varied. Li and his colleague confirmed in their research that individuals with a particular worldview tended to consume media content that coincided with their beliefs. Li found that high-group worldviews preferred content that promoted the societal benefits of DCT and alleviated privacy concerns, such as CNN and NBC News. Conversely, those with a high-grid worldview preferred content emphasizing privacy risks and technological limitations, like news from The Washington Times and Fox News. Unbalanced reporting like this makes it more challenging to communicate scientific information to the public effectively.
Why This Research Matters: The Future of IT and Society
Cultural worldviews deeply influence IT adoption behavior. As technology for public sector use continues to innovate and improve lives, there will continue to be a need to communicate benefits (and risks) effectively to a diverse population. Li’s research improves our understanding of the complicated interplay between cultural attitudes and IT adoption, helping technology businesses and government agencies develop strategies to combat bias and communicate effectively.
As more complex IT applications emerge—like biometric identity authentication and national identity verification—Li’s research will open the door to further exploration of personal decision-making and advancing public interests.
Study Alongside Business Cybersecurity Experts at UTK
Faculty experts like Yuan Li bring the complex worlds of technology innovation and human behavior together. Apply today to UT’s MS in Business Cybersecurity and learn side-by-side with professors like Li, whose cutting-edge research is redefining the role of technology in our lives. The program offers unique training that combines the cybersecurity skills and business strategy needed to drive effective business cybersecurity solutions. You can complete the program 100% online.
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