Assessing Behavioral Intention to Use Low Social Presence ICTs for Interpersonal Task Completion Among College Students: With Special Consideration Toward Short Message Service (SMS) Text-Messaging

This study sought to investigate whether the popularity of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) would impact the behavioral intention (BI) to use of these technologies to aid in interpersonal task completion. Out of the ICTs available today, the most popular is textmessaging, especially among a sizable percentage of the college population. Approximately 600 students at a small, private junior college in eastern North Carolina were invited to participate in this study with a target of 248 responses needed to comprise an adequate sample. A total of 259 usable surveys (n = 259) were received and analyzed. Qualitative data collection instruments consisted of an openended questionnaire and other openended responses that were solicited throughout the data collection phase. Quantitative data collection instruments consisted of a 22item Likertscale survey and a forcedchoice ordinal scale instrument that measured computer user selfefficacy (CUSE) and experience using technology (EUT). Situated in the context of academic helpseeking (AHS), vignettes were developed, validated and administered to offer AHS scenarios where a problem was presented and the participants were then asked to reveal which type of ICT he or she would utilize to seek academic help (AH) in that particular situation