Keywords

Hedonic-Motivation System Adoption Model (HMSAM), technology acceptance model, cognitive absorption, immersion, hedonic-motivation systems, utilitarian-motivation systems, mixed-motivation systems, gaming, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation

Abstract

Hedonic-motivation systems (HMS)—systems used primarily to fulfill users’ intrinsic motivations—are the elephant in the room for IS research. Growth in HMS sales has outperformed utilitarian-motivation systems (UMS) sales for more than a decade, generating billions in revenue annually; yet IS research focuses mostly on UMS. In this study, we explain the role of intrinsic motivations in systems use and propose the hedonic-motivation system adoption model (HMSAM) to improve the understanding of HMS adoption. Instead of a minor, general TAM extension, HMSAM is an HMS-specific system acceptance model based on an alternative theoretical perspective, which is in turn grounded in flow-based cognitive absorption (CA). The HMSAM extends van der Heijden’s (2004) model of hedonic system adoption by including CA as a key mediator of perceived ease of use (PEOU) and of behavioral intentions to use (BIU) hedonic-motivation systems. Results from experiments involving 665 participants confirm that, in a hedonic context, CA is a more powerful and appropriate predictor of BIU than PEOU or joy, and that the effect of PEOU on BIU is fully mediated by CA sub-constructs. This study lays a foundation, provides guidance, and opens up avenues for future HMS, UMS, and mixed-motivation system research

Original Publication Citation

Paul Benjamin Lowry, James Gaskin, Nathan Twyman, Bryan Hammer, and Tom L. Roberts (2013). “Taking “Fun and Games” Seriously: Proposing the Hedonic-Motivation System Adoption Model (HMSAM),” Journal of the Association for Information Systems (Volume 14, Issue 11, pp. 617-671).

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2013

Publisher

Journal of the Association for Information Systems

Language

English

College

Marriott School of Business

Department

Information Systems Management

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

Download

Share

COinS