Expectation Confirmation in Technology Adoption: An Examination of Six Competing Theoretical Models

Currently under review, please do not quote or cite without permission. We discuss six different models of expectation confirmation: assimilation, contrast, generalized negativity, assimilation-contrast, experiences only, and expectations only. We identified four shortcomings of prior empirical research on expectation confirmation in IS and other fields: reliance on a single model, assumption of linearity, use of difference scores, and direct measures. Using constructs from the widely studied technology acceptance model (TAM), we test each of these six models, which suggest different roles for expectations and experiences, using expectations and experiences about ease of use and usefulness as predictors of behavioral intention. Data were collected in a field study from 1,113 participants at two points in time. Using polynomial modeling and response surface analysis, we demonstrated that expectations and experiences have differential impacts on intention depending on whether we are examining ease of use or usefulness. Specifically, the results did not support any of the existing models of expectation confirmation but rather, we present a modified generalized negativity and contrast model