In 1985, the Department of Household Sciences of the Agricultural University of Wageningen conducted research on Dutch households that use information technologies for domestic purposes. The research was a part of a 6-nation research program supported by the FAST-II research activities of the European Community and the university. Telephone and some more substantive interviews were conducted with 54 respondents to a letter sent out through the Dutch videotext system, Viditel. Usage of 3 types of information technology, home computer, Videotext, and Teletext was surveyed. The results showed 4 categories of applications of home computers to domestic activities: 1. no specific applications, 2. leisure activities, 3. applications in householding, and 4. professional or semiprofessional applications. The findings indicated the types of households likely to benefit from information technology in the future and grouped households by their attitudes toward information technology into productivistic, hobbyist, and socially committed households. It was concluded that software is still too limited to offer many household applications.
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