Time flies when you are having fun: Cognitive Absorption and Beliefs about Social Media Usage

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to do a methodological replication of Agarwal & Karahanna (2000), in the context of social media. The original work describes a construct labeled 'cognitive absorption' (CA) having a theoretical base derived from three inter-related areas of research: the personality trait dimension of absorption, the state of flow, and the notion of cognitive engagement. Regarding the methodological replication process, we adapted the original instrument to the context of social media and collected data from 326 students. Following the same procedures used by Agarwal & Karahanna (2000), we used Partial Least Squares (PLS) to analyze the data and found results that supported the ideas advanced in their study, although we also identified some differences concerning perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, and personal innovativeness. The differences we found seem to be entirely associated with the context of social media. The level of experience in using technology is likely explained by the fact that the exposure to technology is much more significant today than 16 years ago, technology has become part of the daily routine of individuals, where social media is one of the most widely used.