Behavioral beliefs-perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use-have been identified as the most influential antecedents of individuals' information systems use intentions and behaviors within the technology acceptance model. However, little research has been aimed at investigating the implicit (automatic or unconscious) determinants of such cognitive beliefs, and more importantly, the potential nonlinear relationships of such antecedents with explicit (perceptual) ones. As such, this paper theorizes that implicit neurophysiological states-memory load and distraction- and explicit-engagement and frustration-antecedents interact in the formation of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. To test the study's hypotheses, we conducted an experiment that measured neurophysiological states while individuals worked on instrumental and hedonic tasks using technology. The results show that, as theorized, implicit and explicit constructs interact together, and thus have a nonlinear effect on behavioral beliefs. Specifically, when engagement is high, neurophysiological distraction does not statistically significantly affect perceived usefulness, whereas when engagement is low, neurophysiological distraction has a negative and significant effect on usefulness. The results also show that when frustration is high, neurophysiological memory load has a negative effect on perceived ease of use, whereas when it is low, neurophysiological memory load has a positive effect on perceived ease of use. This study makes several contributions to acceptance research and the emerging field of NeuroIS, including demonstration of the importance of emotional perceptions for moderating the effects of neurophysiological states on behavioral beliefs.
Information systems use represents one of the core concepts defining the discipline. In this article, we develop a rich conceptualization of IS use patterns as individuals' emotions, cognition, and behaviors while employing an information technology to accomplish a work-related task. By combining two novel perspectives-the affect-object paradigm and automaticity-with coping theory, we theorize how different patterns appear and disappear as a result of different IT events-expected and discrepant-as well as over time, and how these patterns influence short-term performance. In order to test our hypotheses, we conducted two studies, one qualitative and the other quantitative, that combined different methods (e.g., open-ended questions, physiological data, videos, protocol analysis) to study the influence of expected and discrepant events. The synergistic properties of the two studies demonstrate the existence of two IS use patterns, automatic and adjusting. Most interactions are automatic, and adjusting patterns, triggered by discrepant IT events, fade over time and transition into automatic ones. Further, automatic patterns result in enhanced short-term performance, while adjusting ones do not. Our conceptualization of IS use patterns is useful because it addresses important questions (such as why negative IT perceptions persist) and clarifies that it is how (rather than how much) people use IT that is pertinent for performance.