IT Identity Development: Self-Expansion or Self-Extension? Or Both?

Abstract

Positive IT identity is the extent to which an individual views the use of IT as integral to his or her sense of self. The extant literature on the construct has described how users' beliefs about IT usage impact their IT identity resulting in both rich and lean forms of IT usage behaviors. Less understood are the psychological processes that lead to the formation of IT identity. The primary question addressed by this study is "how does IT identity develop?" To answer this question, the study draws on self-extension theory from the marketing literature and self-expansion theory from the social psychological literature to show that positive IT identity develops as a result of two distinct strategies. While self-expansion motivates the development of emotional attachment to IT, self-extension primarily motivates the development of psychological ownership of IT. It is thorough both these motivational states that individuals are able to positively identify with IT.