Post-positivist Review of Technology Acceptance Model.

Authors

Leiser Silva, University of HoustonFollow

Abstract

This paper reflects upon the technology acceptance model (TAM) from the perspective of the post positivistic philosophy of science. I explore what it is to know, what a theory is, and what it means to be scientific in the context of TAM. In particular, I review criteria for determining whether TAM is scientific or not in light of post-positivistic debates about the nature of science. For this purpose, I apply Popper’s principle of demarcation, which determines whether a theory-like TAM-is falsifiable and the logical connection argument to show that connections between actions and intentions cannot be subjected to empirical testing similar to connections between chemical entities. I also draw on Kuhn’s notion of scientific revolutions to observe the degree to which TAM has become normal science. Finally, I review TAM from the Lakatosian perspective of scientific research programs to evaluate whether the program is advancing or declining. My main objective is not to provide a conclusive evaluation of TAM as a research program or a paradigm, but to open the philosophical foundations of TAM for scrutiny so that it can be evaluated not only within the validation rules followed by its proponents, but by applying a set of well known criteria established in the post-positivistic views of science.

Recommended Citation

Silva, Leiser (2007) "Post-positivist Review of Technology Acceptance Model.," Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 8(4), .
DOI: 10.17705/1jais.00121
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol8/iss4/11

DOI

10.17705/1jais.00121