Attitudes toward computers and involvement in computer-based activities: A study of law enforcement managers in training at the FBI National Academy

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine associations between adult learners' attitudes toward computers and their involvement in computer based activities while enrolled in a full-time professional training program. The research focused on three specific relationships: between prior computer involvement and the initial computer attitudes held by students; between the initial computer attitudes and student involvement in computer based activities; and between student involvement and the computer attitudes held near the end of the training program. One hundred and sixty-five students attending an eleven week session of the FBI National Academy comprised the study group.; Prior computer involvement was defined as the student's average hours of weekly computer use, extent of computer experience, and formal computer training completed. Total hours of computer use at the National Academy served as the gauge of student involvement in computer based activities. Three separate attitudinal dimensions were considered in the analyses: computer anxiety, computer interest, and computer usefulness. An ex post facto approach was taken in that the variables of interest were not manipulated in any systematic fashion.; The attitudes toward computers expressed at the beginning of the National Academy term were related to prior computer involvement. Students who had greater involvement with computers before they entered the National Academy program tended to express more positive attitudes toward computers.; Computer attitudes, in turn, were related to student involvement in computer based activities during the National Academy term. Students with more favorable initial attitudes toward computers tended to be involved to a greater extent in computer based activities at the FBI Academy regardless of their prior computer involvement. Computer interest appeared to be particularly important in explaining variance in student involvement.; Finally, student involvement was related to computer attitudes measured near the end of the National Academy term. Students who were more involved in computer based activities tended to express more favorable exiting attitudes even after differences in initial computer attitudes and prior involvement were considered. Involvement in computer based activities was particularly important in explaining variance in the exiting computer anxiety scores.