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Cognitive Biases in User Acceptance Testing of Cloud Software: A Vicious Cycle of User Disengagement?

2022; RELX Group (Netherlands); Linguagem: Inglês

10.2139/ssrn.4102953

1556-5068

Raffaele Ciriello, Sebastian Loss,

Blockchain Technology Applications and Security

Context: User acceptance testing is a fundamental part of information systems (IS) development. Although extant literature widely assumes that reported user acceptance predicts subsequent use, many empirical studies provide mixed and contradictory evidence of this relation.Objective: This paper proposes that a vicious cycle of user disengagement can drive a paradoxical relation between behavioral intention and use behavior. IS developers and researchers need to account for this paradoxical relation. Method: Based on a revelatory case study and related literature, we challenge and revise fundamental assumptions of user acceptance theories and reveal that personality traits act as moderators between behavioral intention and use behavior.Findings: Ironically, our in-depth case study of ‘Cloud Corp’ reveals that high user acceptance scores related to user disengagement and churn. Our case analysis reveals a vicious cycle driving this paradoxical relation through two cognitive biases – acquiescence bias: users’ tendency to respond positively to acceptance items irrespective of item content (‘yea-saying’); and confirmation bias: designers’ tendency to favor belief-consistent responses (‘yea-hearing’). Conclusion: We offer research implications for curtailing cognitive biases in user acceptance research through semantic differentials, mixed methods, and controls for personality traits. As practical implication, we encourage cloud software providers to complement user acceptance tests with observations, log data analysis, and constructive criticism.