The Self-Checkout Machine
A Study Exploring the IT Gender Divide
Ashleigh Kreider, Mike Eber, and Brenda Chan
Self-service Technology Usage
• Today, many self-service technologies exist
–
–
–
–
–
ATMs
Automated phone systems
Internet transactions
In-store kiosks
Self-checkout machines
(Meuter et al., 2002)
• These technologies revolutionalize retail
– Improve operations
– Increase efficiency
– Provide benefits for customers.
Benefits of SST
• Convenience
• Availability
• Ease of use
• Time saving
• Perception of more control over
transaction
Factors that influence usage of SST
• Technology anxiety
• Gender
• Age
• Demographics
• Education level
• People who are unwilling to use SST
tend to be older, less educated and in
lower income brackets (Eastlick,1996)
Technology Anxiety
• Concept of computer anxiety: “fear,
apprehension, and hope people feel when
considering use or actually using computer
technology” (Cambre and Cook, 1985)
• 55% of Americans suffer from some degree of
technophobia (Williams, 1994)
• Computer anxiety may reduce the effectiveness
of increased computerization of society
(Doronina, 1995; Heinssen et al., 1987)
• Research findings concerning computer anxiety
can be extended to anxiety with other
technological devices
Background & Motivation
for our Investigation
• Research shows females experience more
technology anxiety
• Renen and Plomp (1997) on educational IT:
“Females know less about IT, enjoy using the
computer less than male students, and perceive
more problems with models and activities carried
out with computers in schools”
• Females less comfortable using IT in the presence
of other people (Cooper, 1990)
• Males attribute success with IT to skill, failure to
luck; females attribute success to luck, failure to
skill
Self-Checkout Registers
• Computerized register that allows
customers to scan their purchases and
pay without the assistance of a cashier
• Graphic display / touch screen
Hypotheses
• Females will be less comfortable with
the self-checkout registers
• Females will attribute failure with the
self-checkout machine to their own
ability
• Females (more than males) will prefer
to have someone available to help
them with the machines
Survey
Survey Design
• Measure general
comfort with
machine
• When customers
choose the selfcheckout aisle
• What factors
encourage or
discourage use
• Attributions of
failure with the
machine
• Familiarity with
computers in
general and
similarity of selfcheckouts with
computers
Participants
Males
18-30
31-50
• 18 males, 22
females
4
14
Females
18-30
31-50
ov er 50
4
3
15
• Most of participants
(29/40) were in the
18-30 age range
Results: Comparing the Average Male
with the Average Female
• Average male is 23.4% more comfortable with the Self-checkout.
• Average female required a 53% longer line for the cashier in order to
select Self-Checkout
• Men rated themselves more experienced and more comfortable with
computers.
Highlights of Survey Results for all Age Groups Combined
7.0
6.1
6.0
6.0
5.0
5.6
5.0
4.9
4.0
4.5
Average female
3.3
Average male
3.0
2.0
1.6
1.0
0.0
Comfort Level with
Self-Checkout
Length of line for
cashier in which it is
better to use selfcheckout
Comfort Level with
Computers
Self-Reported
Experience with
Computers
Results: Comparing the Average Male
with the Average Female
Features' Attraction to Males and Females
Opt io ns o n t he Scanner
t hat Allo w Price
Co mpariso n
Po st ed Direct io ns fo r
Use
An Emplo yee Available
t o Help
Mo re Creat ive Visual
Design / So und Effect s
-0.5
-0.3
-0.1
0.1
0.3
0.5
0.7
0.9
1.1
1.3
1.5
Increased Attraction to Self-Checkout
Average Female
Average Male
• Both sexes turned off by bells and whistles, but females more.
• Males more interested in using scanner as a tool
• Females more encouraged by help from an employee and posted
directions.
When Troubles Arise…
**1/3 of females attributed blame to themselves when they had problems
with a self-checkout, while only 12% of males blamed themselves.
FEMALES' RESPONSES TO PROBLEMS
17%
MALES' RESPONSES TO PROBLEMS
12%
18%
33%
50%
70%
Blamed Self
Blamed Self
Blamed Machine
Blamed Machine
Blamed Programmer of Machine
Blamed Programmer of Machine
Absolute Choices
• NO females answered that they would
always choose the self-checkout aisle, while
6/18 males said that they would always
choose self-checkout.
• 5/22 females said they would always
choose the cashier, but only 2/18 males
said they would always choose the cashier.
Conclusions: Hypotheses
Supported!
• Women were in fact less comfortable with
both the self-checkout machine and
computers
• Help from an actual person attracted
women to the machines
• Women tended to blame themselves for
problems with the machines.
Older People vs. Younger People
• 11 people over 30 included in our study
were less comfortable (avg=5.18) than the
29 younger than 30 (avg=5.45)
• Older people felt less comfortable with
computers (avg=5 vs. 5.66) and reported
having less experience with computers
(avg=3.91 vs. 5.41)
Critiques, Issues for Further Study
• More different age groups
• Larger and more diverse sample size
• Perhaps a more clear design
– Format of 7-point scales
• Study ACTUAL use of self-checkout
machines, not just reported hypothetical
use.