본 연구는 중고령자의 디지털기기 이용동기, 디지털기기 이용태도, 디지털기기 이용성과의 요인 간 관계를 검증하기 위해 경로분석을 진행하였다. 실증분석을 위해, National Information Society Agency의 2018 디지털정보격차 실태조사를 사용하였으며 55세 이상 전체 조사 대상자 2,303명 중 결측치를 제거하여 1,664명을 최종분석 하였다. 구조모형의 경로계수를 살펴본 결과, 디지털기기 이용동기는 디지털기기 이용태도(표준요인 부하랑=0.847)에, 디지털기기 이용태도는 디지털기기 이용성과(표준요인 부하랑=0.745)에 통계적으로 유의한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구는 디지털기기 이용동기가 바로 디지털기기 이용성과를 높이지는 않으나, 디지털기기 이용태도를 높이고, 디지털기기 이용태도는 디지털기기 이용성과를 높일 수 있음을 시사하였으며 중고령자의 디지털기기 이용을 활성화하기 위한 실천적·정책적 함의를 제시하였다는 점에 의의가 있다.

This study was designed to analyze the relationship among the motivations for the use of digital devices, attitudes toward the use of digital devices and performance resulting from the use of digital devices in middle-aged and elderly groups by using a path analysis. For an empirical analysis, the 2018 Survey on the Digital Divide by the National Information Society Agency was referenced, analyzing the data of 1,664 people, selected through listwise deletion from total 2,303 people aged 55 or over. A close examination of how measuring variables reflect potential variables (motivations for, attitudes toward and performance resulting from the use of digital devices) showed a significance of 0.001, which suggests that each individual measuring variable does reflect the potential variables. Evaluation of the pathway factors of the structural model from the motivations for the use of digital devices to the attitudes toward the use of digital devices (β=0.847) and from the attitudes toward the use of digital devices to the performance resulting from the use of digital devices (β= 0.745) revealed significant statistical effects. The results of this study suggest that the motivations for the use of digital devices does not directly enhance the digital device use performance, but that it can improve the attitudes toward the use of digital devices, which can in turn increase the performance resulting from the use of digital devices. The analysis holds significance that it has presented practical and policy implications.