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Cognitive behavioural theory suggests that excessive use of the Internet for health purposes can contribute to health anxiety but previous research examining the relationship between health anxiety and health-related Internet use is limited. This thesis aimed to explore if and how health-related Internet utilization and health anxiety are related, and whether such Internet use can exacerbate the health anxiety of health anxious individuals. Study 1 aimed to examine the possible relationship between health anxiety and the extent of, reasons for, and effects of health-related Internet use in university students, using a bespoke, theory-based questionnaire. Results suggested that health anxiety was significantly related to heightened and potentially problematic health-related Internet use, including: more frequent use, a greater proportion of health (vs. non-health) information sought, more time spent online for health purposes, more searches for illness information, and heightened tension post-search. We also found correlations between health anxiety and six-items concerning possible Internet addiction for health purposes. Study 2 sought to obtain information about health anxious individuals’ perspectives on health-related Internet use, using qualitative methodology. Themes uncovered during analysis were consistent with the results of study 1, and highlighted several other aspects of health-related Internet use that were relevant to health anxious users, including: metacognitions, Internet disadvantages, and health anxiety for others etc. Study 3 used the results of studies 1 and 2 to develop and psychometrically evaluate a new Internet use questionnaire in a large, non-clinical sample. Results suggested that the measure was both valid and reliable. Spearman correlations and simultaneous regressions substantiated previous findings from our earlier studies. Three aspects of health- related Internet use were uniquely predictive of health anxiety (illness-related Internet use: self; problematic use of the Internet for health purposes; anxiety post-search/perceived adverse consequences of searching). Study 4 aimed to determine the effects of presenting online health information in a manner designed to facilitate disconfirmatory information processing on subsequent anxiety, worry and illness beliefs. Results suggested that facilitating disconfirmatory information in this way was ineffective in reducing negative emotional outcomes post-search. Study 5 compared the frequency of ‘query escalations’ (searches for common, benign symptoms escalating to the consideration of serious causes/diseases) during online health searches between high and low health anxious students. We also examined the participants’ rationale for escalating queries and the effects of escalating on anxiety. Results found instances of query escalation in both high and low health anxious groups; though high health anxious participants were more likely to escalate their queries. Both groups reported increased anxiety post-escalation. In the final chapter I briefly summarise our studies, discuss major findings and the implications of our research, critically appraise our methodology, choices, and studies, and make recommendations for future research in this area.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / In a relatively very short period the Internet has grown from being virtually unknown to becoming an essential business tool. Together with its many benefits, the Internet has unfortunately brought with it several new organisational challenges. One of these challenges is how to manage personal Web usage (PWU) in the workplace effectively. Although many managers see PWU as a form of workplace deviance, many researchers have pointed out its potential benefits such as learning, time-saving, employee well-being and a source of ideas. To help organisations manage PWU in the workplace more effectively, this research realised the need for a typology of PWU behaviours in the South African workplace. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) was identified as an objective method of creating such a typology. The objective of this research was therefore to develop an instrument to gather data for a multidimensional scaling study of PWU behaviours in the South African workplace. A questionnaire was designed that consists of three distinct sections. The first section contains seven pre-coded demographics questions that correspond with specific demographic variables, proven to have a relationship with PWU. The second section of the questionnaire is designed to gather dissimilarity data for input into an MDS algorithm. To begin with, 25 Web usage behaviours of South Africans were identified using Google Ad Planner. After weighing up various options of comparing the Web usage behaviours, the pairwise comparison method was selected. Ross sequencing was used to reduce positioning and timing effects. To reduce the number of judgements per participant, the 300 required judgments are split six ways, resulting in 50 judgements per participant. The last section of the questionnaire is designed to gather data to assist with interpreting the dimensions of the MDS configuration. Eight benefits and risks of PWU were identified. These are combined into a matrix together with the 25 Web usage behaviours. The data from this section will allow future research to use linear regression to discover the relationship between the Web usage behaviours (the objects), and the benefits and risks of PWU (the variables). It is believed that this design offers a fair compromise between the time and effort required of participants and the quality and integrity of the acquired data.

Darbo tikslas. Nustatyti Švenčionių miesto 5-12 klasių mokinių naudojimosi kompiuteriu ir internetu ypatumus. Darbo uždaviniai. 1) Nustatyti mokinių naudojimosi kompiuteriu ypatumus; 2) Nustatyti mokinių naudojimosi internetu ypatumus; 3) Įvertinti mokinių nuomonę apie kompiuterio ir interneto įtaką sveikatai; 4) Įvertinti tėvų elgesį kontroliuojant vaikų naudojimąsi kompiuteriu ir internetu. Metodai. Atliktas momentinis paplitimo tyrimas naudojant anonimines apklausos anketas. Anketos sudarytos iš kelių dalių: bendrosios, „aš ir kompiuteris“, „aš ir internetas“. Tyrime dalyvavo Švenčionių miesto mokyklų, kuriose vykdomas pagrindinis vaikų ugdymas, mokiniai. Apklaustas 291 mokinys. Tyrimo anketos į duomenų bazę vestos naudojant programą Epi_Data, gauti duomenys analizuoti statistiniu paketu SPSS 16.0, grafikams vaizduoti naudota Microsoft Exel 2003 programa. Rezultatai. Dauguma mokinių savo sveikatą vertina labai gerai arba gerai (90,3%). Kompiuteriu naudojasi 96,6% mokinių. Mergaičių, kurios naudojasi kompiuteriu, ir berniukų skaičius panašus (atitinkamai 98,1% ir 94,6%), (χ²=3,170; df=2; p=0,205). Internetu taip pat naudojasi didžioji dalis, t.y., 97,6% mokinių. Dauguma mokinių naudojasi kompiuteriu kasdien (71,13%) Berniukai darbo dienomis kompiuteriu naudojasi ilgiau nei mergaitės (t=3,019, df=245,068, p=0,003, PI=[0,119-0,566]), taip pat ir savaitgaliais (t=2,402, df=260,957, p=0,017, PI [0,059-0,600]). 60,81% mokinių niekada arba tik retai atlieka pratimus akims... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The Aim: To determine peculiarities of computer and internet usage among 5th-12th grade students in the city of Švenčionys. Tasks: 1) To determine features of computer usage by students; 2) To determine features of internet usage by students; 3) To evaluate student opinion about the impact on health by computers and internet; 4) To evaluate the behavior of parents control to computer and internet usage by their children. Methods: The momentary prevalence study was conducted using anonymous questionnaires. The questionnaires comprised of several parts: general part, “me and computer”, and “me and internet”. 291 students of the schools in Švenčionys participated in the survey. The questionnaires were collected to a database using the program Epi_Data; its results were analyzed using statistical package SPSS 16.0. Microsoft Excel 2003 was used for graphic representation. Results: The majority of students (90,3%) assess their health as very good or good. 96,6% of students use computers. The number of girls and boys, who use the computer, is similar (98,1% and 94,6% respectively), (χ²=3,170; df=2; p=0,205). The majority of students use internet (97,6%). The majority indicate daily usage of computer (71,13%). Male students tend to use computers for longer periods on weekdays (t=3,019, df=245,068, p=0,003, CI= [0,119-0,566]), as well as weekends (t=2,402, df=260,957, p=0,017, CI [0,059-0,600]) in comparison to female students. 60,81% of participants state to very rarely or... [to full text]

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teenagers’ use of mobile Internet devices and their involvement in risky digital behaviors, including problematic Internet use, exposure to pornography, and participation in sexting. A crosssectional correlational design using a sample (N = 97) of teens aged 13-18 was used. Linear regression analyses revealed that teens using smartphones as their primary source of Internet access were most likely to receive sexting requests, while teens using computers to access the Internet were most likely to intentionally view pornography. Additionally, teens who used multiple mobile devices to connect to the Internet and teens who had owned at least one mobile Internet device for longer periods of time were most likely to have higher levels of problematic Internet use. Contextual factors such as age, gender, family structure, religious commitment, attachment to parents, and parental monitoring of online activities were also examined to determine their relationship to the aforementioned outcomes. Consistent with adolescent developmental trajectories, older teens reported higher rates of pornography exposure and sexting requests, and indicated a greater willingness to participate in sexting. However, younger teens who used smartphones as their primary source of Internet access were just as likely as older teens to have received requests to sext. Males had higher rates of pornography exposure and were more willing than females to send sexual messages to their significant other. Females, on other hand, were asked to sext more frequently. Teens with high levels of religious commitment had the lowest levels of pornography exposure and participation in sexting. Among the parental variables examined, teens’ attachment to their parents was most significantly related to the studies’ outcomes. Strongly attached teens had lower levels of problematic Internet use, pornography exposure, and participation in sexting than their peers who were not as strongly attached to their parents.

There has been a significant increase in the level of remote or distance learning using the Internet, often referred to as e-learning or online education. E-learning is often combined with classroom instruction and on-the-job training and this is referred to as blended learning. The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact blended learning has in improving engineering training in the engineering field of industrial automation. This is especially in improving the reaction, achievement and return on investment of learners compared to that of only the traditional classroom or e-learning approaches. One of the gaps in current research is the examination of the impact of blended learning in improving engineering training. The research revealed significant growth in the use of e-learning for engineers and technicians. There would however appear to be a large number of engineers and technicians who were disappointed with their experiences of e-learning. Significant concerns were also identified in the efficacy of e-learning and the lack of hands-on experience in this form of training for engineers and technicians. Suggestions are made as a result of the research into addressing these issues.

From 1995 the Internet attracted commercial investment, but financially measurable benefits and competitive advantage proved elusive. Usage for personal communication and business information only slowly translated into commercial transactions. This reflects a unique feature of Internet development. Unlike other media of the 19th and 20th centuries, widespread Internet use preceded commercial investment. The early military and research use led to an architecture that poorly supported the certainty and security requirements of commercial transactions. Subsequent attempts to align this architecture with commercial transactional requirements were expensive and mostly unsuccessful. This multi-disciplinary thesis describes these commercial factors from historical, usage, technical, regulatory and commercial perspectives. It provides a new and balanced understanding in a subject area dominated by poor communication between separate perspectives.

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The Internet has made profound changes in how people conduct their daily lives as well as how they buy goods and services. This study's objective is to shed light on the use and diffusion of online or electronic buying (e-buying). Canadian households have not adopted e-buying equally, as revealed by Statistics Canada's Household Internet Use Survey (HIUS) data of 1997 – 2003. We explore how e-buying varies across age groups, genders, education levels, income levels, and the nature of goods. We first develop a simple model for e-buying demand in the context of a utility-maximizing individual choosing between e-buying and conventional buying. We employ a parameter reflecting individual taste, so we can study the influence of individual-specific factors in e-buying adoption decisions. The taste parameter is distributed in a population in some unknown way, and we try different distributions in empirical tests. We use the literature in conjunction with the model to derive the model's implications in terms of variables available in the HIUS datasets. We employ Tobit and Poisson regression models for the empirical tests. The tests suggest that household e-buying is more when household income is more, when heads of households are more educated, and for homogeneous goods; but that household e-buying is less when heads of households are female. This understanding may help policy makers, businesses, and other interested parties find ways to promote Internet use and e-buying across all segments of society.