An Empirical Research On Internet Self-efficacy For College Students In Shanghai

This thesis focuses on Internet self efficacy (ISE), a key factor which influences theuser's internet level, to provide Psychological evidence helping to improve users'Internetperformance. At first, the study develops and validates the Internet self efficacy questionnairefor college students in Shanghai, then the relationship between ISE and other factors isanalyzed through two methods.On the one hand, the characteristics of college students'ISE and the relationships of ISEwith other factors are analyzed through questionnaire. The results indicate: (1)Collegestudents'ISE is in upper middle level in Shanghai; (2) The significant difference lies indifferent gender, grade, and subjects in college students; (3) Significant difference is foundamong gender groups and different ISE levels in Internet coping style; (4) There is nosignificant difference between Internet Addiction Disorder( IAD) and Non Internet AddictionDisorder in ISE level, but the significant difference in general self efficacy is found; (5) AsComputer anxiety, Internet experience and Positive coping method of dealing with problemlocus of control three variables are the predictor of ISE scores, the established regressionequation is statistically significant. These variables can explain 52.6% variability of ISE.On the other hand, effects of ISE on the internet searching are discussed throughexperimental method, combining with goal setting theory. The experimental design is 2×3mixed design. Participants'different ISE level is Between-subject variable, including higherlevel and lower level. Different searching task is Within-subject variable. The results indicate(1) The searching performance is no significant difference between higher ISE levelparticipants and lower ones in easier searching task, however significant difference insearching performance was found in harder searching task; (2) There is significant differencein searching persistence and searching strategy between higher ISE level participants andlower ones, but there is no significant difference in the goal agreement between them.