TAM model in research of the level of electronic book acceptance by young reader

Abstract

The rapid but uneven development of electronic publications raises a research question about the pace of their future extension, which depends on the level of acceptance of potential readers. The theory of innovation indicates the existence of a threshold of critical mass of a new technology products acceptance at the level of 16% of the market. After it is exceeded, further dynamics of innovation growth is maintained spontaneously. On this basis, the paper’s author attempts to create the forecast for the development of a selected type of electronic publication – e-books based on the opinions of young readers (students). This context has resulted in a strong focus of research on the educational purposes of using the e-book. The TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) type tool was used to obtain information on the behavioral intentions of students towards using the e-book. The model assumes that the use of new technology can be explained or predicted by determining the user's motivation, which in turn is directly influenced by external stimuli resulting from the real features and capabilities of the technology. The factor of the e-book ease of use felt by the surveyed students was taken into account, which, as it turned out, has a significant impact on the attitude towards use, while having a strong impact on the perceived usefulness of the new technology.