Effects of personal motivation and computing characteristics on ubiquitous mobile device usages

Abstract

As we experience the pervasive penetration of mobile computing technology in our daily life, knowing the characteristics of ubiquitous computing (UC) and understanding user motivation has become important for facilitating the usage of mobile devices. Extending previous research on the use of UC by introducing a theory from consumer research and uses and gratifications theory, the study focuses on intrinsic and extrinsic values that the mobile user experiences when possessing, interacting with, and using UC-enabled mobile devices. This study makes the broad assumption that UC characteristics and user motivation can be considered as the key characteristics of the adoption of UC devices. It also examines the moderating effects of user types of UC-enabled mobile devices. The results indicate that both personal motivation and UC characteristics had positive effects on the user's attitude toward the adoption of UC-enabled mobile devices. Additionally, the perceived utility of mobile devices was directly influenced by UC characteristics.