從沈浸(flow)理論探討台灣大專學生之網路使用行為

Abstract

本研究主要在探究沈浸(flow)理論在網路使用上的應用，並以台灣的大專學生為研究對象，研究其在網路使用上是否曾產生沈浸經驗，並了解網路沈浸經驗各因素間的關係。本研究採問卷調查法進行資料的蒐集，總計對國內15所大學及技術學院發出1050份問卷，總計回收732份有效問卷。 在上網動機中，本研究發現除了查詢資料和聯絡溝通的目的之外，「尋求娛樂」可能也是大專學生上網的主要動機之一。而網路使用者的性別、就讀科系、有無個人電腦及上網時數分別會對網路沈浸經驗的各個面向有不同程度的影響；男性、擁有個人電腦者、重度使用者的上網時數較長，擁有個人電腦及重度使用者在網路對生活的涉入程度上亦較高。 男性及重度使用者一般較不認為網路是一種挑戰，覺得自己對網路有較高的使用技巧，理科學生則在感受到網路的挑戰上最低；而在一般的情況下，使用者在使用網路時確實會經歷到沈浸狀態，而性別差異則會對不同的網路活動引起的沈浸經驗有影響；另外重度使用者在BBS上較一般使用者有較高的沈浸經驗。 本研究中根據台灣大專學生的沈浸經驗所進行的徑路分析，則符合Novak等人於1999年所提出的沈浸經驗模型。沈浸模型中的主、次前提與各種網路活動的沈浸經驗間存在相關，但會因活動不同而稍微有不同的情形，但網路使用者對前提面向的感受愈高，對網路沈浸經驗的感受亦愈高，且較願意從事相關的探索行為。 研究中亦發現遠距臨場感及對現實環境產生時間空間迷失的感覺可能是網路情境特有的因素，因此研究網路世界的沈浸經驗應該不能只著重在挑戰和技巧之間的平衡，使用者專注於網路使用並且融入虛擬世界中，甚至對現實環境產生時空迷失的感覺，應該都與網路沈浸經驗之間有重要關連，而未來的研究則可再針對不同的網路活動及網路特質進行探究。

The concept of flow was that when people attracted by activity, they might be absorbed in the task, and then focus in a narrow scope and feel balance between task’s challenge and skill. They might feel getting lost and distort the sense of time; however, they would enjoy the feedback of the task. When this state of mind happened, we may call it “flow.” The purpose of this study was to explore Internet usage of Taiwan's college students and tries to describe the relationship of flow psychology factors. This study employed the survey method. The paper questionnaires were administered to college students around Taiwan, and a total of 732 valid samples was collected. The result indicated that information searching and communication were the primary motivations in Internet usage; in addition, entertainment was also one of the motivations. In many factors that affect Internet’s flow experience, sex difference is an important one. Male and heavy users were aware of their good skill and thus that Internet did not present a challenge to them. Besides, Internet heavy user's flow experience in using BBS is much stronger than non-heavy users. This study re-examined Novak et al. study by taking Taiwan college students as subjects, and the results re-confirmed their flow model. The Internet survey indicated that user's flow experience caused by Internet should not only focus on the balance between challenge and skill, but also take Internet "Telepresence" and "Time/Space Lost" into account. When users focused their attention on Internet and were totally absorbed in it, they lost the sense of time and felt “real” of this virtual world, which was important and unique in Internet flow experience. Finally, this study suggested researchers further explore the factors of flow in specific Internet activities.