Digital Propensity Index (DPI)

What is it about?

The Digital Propensity Index (DPI) measures how often individuals use various forms of communication technology in their everyday lives (Henderson and Hirumi 2005, as cited in Norman 2008). Norman, D. K. (2008). Predicting the performance of interpreting instruction based on digital propensity index score in text and graphic formats. Unpublished dissertation. University of Central Florida.

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Why is it important?

The 50-item DPI provides a rating on a continuum from 34 to 170 as a numerical representation of the likelihood an individual has a high propensity towards technology. The DPI rates digital propensity based on the following categories: (a) information and communication technology (ICT) use preferences, (b) Internet use preferences, (c) gaming, (d) online media activities, (e) digital communications, (f) ICT facilitated learning activities and (g) ICT facilitated social/economic activities. Each item (e.g., "Communicate using chat utilities" and "Socialize online") has 5 possible responses ranging from 1 to 5. Factor analysis was based on the work of Norman (2008), who extracted seven factors for 46% of all variable variances. Negatively correlated items and items with low correlations were removed for a final 31 items. In a sample of undergraduate and graduate students, responses for the various aspects of the DPI were determined to be reliable (alpha = .882) (Nasah et al., 2010). Nasah, A., DaCosta, B., Kinsell, C., & Seok, S. (2010). The digital literacy debate: An investigation of digital propensity and information and communication technology. Educational Technology Research and Development, 58(5), 531-555. doi: 10.1007/s11423-010-9151-8. Norman, D. K. (2008). Predicting the performance of interpreting instruction based on digital propensity index score in text and graphic formats. Unpublished dissertation. University of Central Florida.