Do Users Respond to Challenging and Hindering Techno-Stressors Differently? A Laboratory Experiment

Techno–stressors are typically hindering for users. These then cause adverse user responses, such as techno-exhaustion, which in turn result in reduced task performance. Latest technostress research adds two types of stressors: hindrance techno-stressors (HTS) and challenge techno–stressors (CTS). Using that knowledge, this research-in-progress paper develops a research model assuming that both types of techno-stressors lead to different user responses (e.g., motivation, techno-exhaustion, arousal) and, in turn, have a different impact on task performance. To validate that empirically, we propose a mixed-experimental research design following a pre-post approach with three different treatments (e.g., HTS, CTS, control) using among other different biomarkers (e.g., SC, sAA, cortisol) to measure arousal. The expected contributions and future steps are discussed.