The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Computer anxiety's impact on computer user documentation
Author:	Moore, Brenda Y.
View Online:	njit-etd2000-042 (x, 60 pages ~ 3.3 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Professional and Technical Communication
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Coppola, Nancy (Committee chair) Fleischer, Doris Zames (Committee member) Kies, Jonathan (Committee member) Harmon, John (Committee member)
Date:	2000-05
Keywords:	Computers--User Anxiety Computers--User Documentation Rogers, Carl (1902-1987) Rogerian Theory Minimalism
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	Computer anxiety is the fear or avoidance of the computer and the environment it represents. The anxiety can manifest in all computer users regardless of their experience or complexity of the tasks they must complete. The anxiety can be alleviated on one task, but as technology changes and advances, the user's comfort level is compromised and the anxiety reappears. Understanding computer anxiety as it relates to computer user documentation is a compelling research question. Although there have been many efforts to understand computer anxiety, there has been no clear way for technical communicators to resolve this problem in their approach to writing computer user documentation. This study will determine the impact of computer anxiety on the preparation of computer user documentation as well as attempt to apply Carl Rogers "Rogerian" theory to computer anxiety as a means of describing what needs to happen in fostering a positive interaction between the user and the computer. In addition, a discussion of the "Minimalist Manual," as an effective computer user documentation strategy will show a parallel between features of minimalism and the "Rogerian" theory.