Understanding E-Learning System usage Behavior: An Evolutionary Psychology Perspective

E-learning has been used very widely to offer solutions in higher education in accordance with the demands of the knowledge-based society. This study aimed to generally explain e-learning systems usage behavior in any country and region. From an evolutionary psychology perspective, two important evolved psychological traits (i.e., least effort and social interaction) were explored for their impacts on students’ decision making towards e-learning systems. Based on these two psychological traits, a new theoretical framework was developed to propose two relationships linking e-learning system usage and both least effort and social interaction. Propositions were further interpreted with qualitative data collected by the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique within an e-learning context. Both propositions are supported with collect data from research participants.