Effects of Mental Model and Intrinsic Motivation on Behavioral Intention of Smartphone Application Users

Abstract

An application that has a simple user interface not only motivates a user to continue using the application, but also enables the user to develop their mental model for the application - the like of which is a product of their interaction with the application. In the information systems literature, little empirical research has been undertaken on the effects of the mental model and motivation on smartphone users' behavioral beliefs. Therefore, the aim of this study is to suggest a research model that can examine the following: 1) the effects that the mental model has not only on smartphone users' behavioral beliefs (that is, perceived usefulness and ease of use of an application) but also on their behavioral intention to use an application and 2) the effects that smartphone users' intrinsic motivation has on their behavioral beliefs through an expansion of the mental model. A survey is conducted, and structural equation modeling is then used to analyze the survey data. The results, through consideration of variables such as intrinsic motivation, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user satisfaction, indicate that the mental model has an indirect effect on a user's intention to use an application.