Theme 3: Research and theory

Research journal and research paper

The research journal I choose was Computers in Human Behavior, and has an impact factor of 3,047. The journal addresses the use of computers out of a psychological perspective, which is within the field human-computer interaction. I think the journal is relevant for media technology because it approaches a psychological aspects of computing, it studies the link between computers and users. I believe it is a highly relevant matter today within media technology research. The research that has been published are research reports, original theoretical works, literature-, book- and software reviews. It is focused rather an psychological aspects, than the computing itself. Some of the research papers are studying the professional training and practice on human interactions with computers. Others are more focused on cognition, social interaction and learning. 

I choose to write about a research paper that has been published in the journal above. The research paper is The effects of technostress within the context of employee use of ICT, which focuses on the so called technostress employees can perceive through information and communication technology (ICT). Technostress is negative psychological link between users and new technology which appears when a user cannot adapt to the technology in a healthy way. The mainly purpose of the study is to investigate how technostress influence and effect employee when using information and communication technology when they work. The paper clarify the phenomenon of technostress and everything related to it. The presentation of arguments is relevant, they present arguments for the selected research model and hypotheses. The research method and data analysis for the research model was well motivated. The results resolve into discussion with conclusions based on theory and method and suggestion for possible researches in the future. The sample of participants was generalized which can question its representativity. The participants of the study was a government administration in Norway with a response rate of 54%. 

1. Briefly explain to a first year university student what theory is, and what theory is not.

Different views of theory exist and there is not a explicit definition of it. Theory is a set of propositions which attempts to identify objects and how they relate to one another. Gregor defines theory at a general level as ”abstract entities that aim to describe, explain, and enhance understanding of the world and, in some cases, to provide predictions of what will happen in the future and to give a basis for intervention and action”. A theory is generalized and has to be in an logical reasoning and context. Gregor says that it exist five different theory types; analysis, explanation, prediction, explanation and prediction, design and action. According to Sutton and Staw theory is not a fact, reference, data, hypotheses, variables or diagrams.

2. Describe the major theory or theories that are used in your selected paper. Which theory type (see Table 2 in Gregor) can the theory or theories be characterized as?

The major theory is work related technostress and ICT. I think my selected paper is characterized with Gregor's theory type number four; theory for explaining and predicting. Because, as Gregor explained, the paper provides a predicting and both testable and casual explanation. 

3. Which are the benefits and limitations of using the selected theory or theories?

A benefit is that it does encompasses both explanation and prediction, it says what it is, how, why, when, where and what it will be. It is limited in one sense that is does not say how to do something.