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Computer problems: are some people jinxed?

J Fox1, C Williams

  • 1Liverpool Hope University College, Hope Park, Liverpool, England L16 9JD.

Psychological Reports
|May 16, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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This study investigated the "jinxed" computer user phenomenon. Researchers found no evidence that individuals are inherently unlucky when using computers for online tasks.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • The concept of being 'jinxed' or experiencing persistent bad luck with technology is a popular notion.
  • Anecdotal evidence and personal beliefs often attribute computer problems to user-specific 'jinxes'.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To empirically investigate the validity of the popular notion that some individuals are 'jinxed' when using computers.
  • To determine if 'jinxed' computer users exhibit a statistically significant higher rate of task failure or technical difficulties.

Main Methods:

  • 111 undergraduate psychology students participated in the study.
  • Participants attempted to complete a specific task while using the internet, under conditions designed to test the 'jinx' hypothesis.

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Main Results:

  • No statistically significant evidence was found to support the notion that participants were 'jinxed' when using computers.
  • The observed outcomes did not differ from what would be expected by chance, refuting the 'jinx' theory.

Conclusions:

  • The study concludes that the popular notion of being 'jinxed' with computers lacks empirical support.
  • Findings suggest that perceived computer 'jinxes' may be attributable to random chance or other unmeasured factors rather than inherent user-related phenomena.