The effect of an individual’s age on the perceived importance and usage intensity of communications services—A Bayesian Network analysis

Abstract

Multiple novel interpersonal communications services have emerged recently, but how their usage and perceived importance are related to the personal characteristics of the users is still relatively unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the effect of an individual’s age on the perceived importance and usage intensity of communications services based on Bayesian Networks using a survey of 3008 Finns during 2011. In the case of Short Message Service (SMS), Instant Messaging (IM), Internet forums and communities (e.g., Facebook & Twitter), and e-mail the results indicate that the perceived importance of the communications services decreases as the age increases. With phone calls and letters, however, no clear dependencies with age were identified. In the causal analysis the importance of Internet forums and communities was the only variable which can be stated to be directly caused by an individual’s age. This variable also acts as a mediator in the path from age towards perceived importance of other communication services and also towards their usage intensity. These results about the central role of Internet forums and communities can be exploited, for example, by device manufacturers when designing their products, and by service providers when designing their consumer services. The study also provides new information for mobile operators about the dependencies between mobile communications services and a documented example workflow for research community to construct a causal Bayesian Network from a combination of observational data and domain expertise.

Appendices

Appendices

1.1 Appendix 1

Actual survey questions translated from Finnish by the authors. The coding in all the themes is as follows: Code/Question/Answer option(s) related to the theme.

1.1.1 Theme 1: Importance and usage intensity of communications services

1.1 LANDLINE/Do you have a landline in your household?/1) Yes, 2) No

1.2 MOBILEPHONE/Do you have a personal mobile phone voice subscription?/1) Yes, 2) No

1.3u SMS, 1.4u EMAIL, 1.5u FB/Which of the following mobile communications services have you used or are using actively? Say yes to all relevant./1) SMS, 2) E-mail, 3) Internet communication, such as Facebook, Twitter or Messenger

1.6u INTERNET/To which of the following do you use Internet access during free time? Say yes to all relevant./1) For staying in touch or communication (e-mail, Facebook, Messenger)

1.7 MOREBANDWIDTH/Do you especially need a fast connection for some of the following? Say yes to all relevant./1) For staying in touch or communication (e-mail, Facebook, Messenger

1.8u SKYPE/How often do you use Internet-based voice services, for example, Skype or Messenger calls?/1) Daily, 2) Weekly, 3) Occasionally, 4) Not at all, 5) Cannot say

1.9u IM/How often do you use Instant Messaging, such as Messenger?/1) Daily, 2) Weekly, 3) Occasionally, 4) Not at all, 5) Cannot say

1.10i CALL, 1.3i SMS, 1.11i LETTER, 1.4i EMAIL, 1.5i FB, 1.9i IM/Next I’ll list some communications services. Please describe how important each of them is to you, by using the following rating scale (Telephone, SMS, Traditional letter, E-mail, Different forums and communities in Internet, Instant Messaging)./1) So important to me that I cannot live without it, 2) Rather important to me, 3) Not very important to me, 4) Hardly important to me, I could live without, 5) Don’t know

1.1.2 Theme 2: Importance of how to follow daily news in general and from Internet

2.1/From which of the following do you mostly follow current news during free time?/1) TV or teletext, 2) Printed newspaper, 3) Internet, 4) Radio, 5) Some other media, 6) I don’t follow current news at all, 7) I cannot say

2.2a-2.2d/If you follow current news from the Internet, which are the most important ways? Say yes to all relevant./a) Watching TV program type of news from TV channels’ web pages (Yle Areena, MTV3 Katsomo), b) Reading text-based news, for example, from newspapers’, TV-channels’ or digital newspapers’ web pages (HS.fi, Yle.fi, Uusisuomi.fi), c) Using services enabled by social media (Twitter, Facebook, blogs), d) I cannot say

2.3u BROWSING, 2.4u VIDEO&MUSIC/Which of the following mobile communications services have you used or are using actively? Say yes to all relevant./1) Information browsing or reading news in the Internet, 2) Watching videos and listening to music in the Internet

2.5, 2.6u TV/To which of the following do you use Internet access during free time? Say yes to all relevant./1) Information browsing, 2) Watching videos or TV programs

2.7, 2.8/Do you especially need a fast connection for some of the following? Say yes to all relevant./1) Information browsing, 2) Watching videos or TV programs

2.9/Would you be willing to separately pay for Internet services, such as digital newspapers and/or games?/1) You already are paying for such services, 2) You could pay or have already thought about paying, 3) You would not pay, 4) You cannot say

1.1.3 Theme 3: Fixed to mobile Internet convergence

3.1a-3.1 h/If you do not have an Internet connection, why haven’t you acquired it? Say yes to all relevant./a) You don’t need it at home, you can use it elsewhere, b) Installation and subscription is difficult, c) Usage is difficult, d) It is expensive, e) No need for it, f) You don’t feel that the usage is safe, g) Other reason, what?, h) Cannot say

3.2 INTERNETCONNECTION/Do you have an Internet connection in your household?/1) Yes, 2) No

3.3a-3.3e/If you have an Internet connection, what kind of connections do you have?/a) Fixed Internet, aimed for usage only at home (including WLAN, WiMAX, @450 etc.), b) Mobile broadband, which can be used also outside home with a USB dongle or similar, c) Fixed Internet but not broadband, e.g., ISDN, d) Other mobile Internet subscription (not broadband), e) Cannot say

3.4a-3.4f/If you have a fixed Internet connection, is it…?/a) Landline based DSL (ADSL, VDSL, SDSL) or a property connection, b) Cable-TV based, c) Optical fiber connection, d) Fixed wireless connection (WiMAX or @450), e) Other, what?, f) Don’t know/Cannot say

3.5/If you have a fixed Internet connection at home, do you have a WLAN or Wi-Fi connected to it?/1) Yes, 2) No

3.6/If you have multiple Internet connections, which one is your primary or most used connection?/1) Landline based DSL (ADSL, VDSL, SDSL) or a property connection, 2) Cable-TV based, 3) Optical fiber connection, 4) Fixed wireless connection (WiMAX tai @450), 5) Other, what?, 6) Don’t know/Cannot say

3.7/How satisfied are you in terms of your primary Internet connection?/1) Very satisfied, 2) Rather satisfied, 3) Not satisfied nor unsatisfied, 4) Rather unsatisfied, 5) Very unsatisfied, 6) Cannot say

3.8/If you have an Internet connection, what is the nominal speed of the connection (i.e., the speed mentioned in marketing and your subscription)?/1) Below 1 Mbps, 2) 1 Mbps, 3) 2 Mbps, 4) 8 Mbps, 5) 24 Mbps, 6) 100 Mbps or more, 7) Cannot say

3.9/If you have an Internet connection, would you say that the speed is…?/1) Suitable, 2) You could get along with a slower one, 3) You would need a faster one, 4) Cannot say

3.10/If you need a faster connection, which of the following broadband speeds would fit to your needs?/1) 512 Kbps, 2) 1 Mbps, 3) 2 Mbps, 4) 8 Mbps, 5) 24 Mbps, 6) 100 Mbps or more, 7) Cannot say

3.11/If you have an Internet connection and you would like to change the speed of it, are there suitable options available in the market?/1) Yes, 2) No

3.12a-3.12e/If you have mobile broadband, what kind of terminals do you use it with?/a) Mobile phone (terminal which is used also for voice), b) Desktop computer (terminal not aimed to be mobile), c) Laptop computer, d) Tablet or similar easy to carry terminal, e) None of the alternatives/Cannot say

3.13a-3.13 g/If you use a laptop computer or tablet with your mobile broadband, where is it used?/a) At home, b) At work or in school, c) While on the go or travelling, d) At your recreational house, e) Abroad, f) Somewhere else, g) None of the earlier, h) Cannot say

3.14/If you have mobile broadband, what was the primary reason for acquiring it?/1) Affordable price, 2) Mobility, i.e., a possibility to use Internet independently of location, 3) Connection speed, 4) It was acquired as part of a service bundle, e.g., fixed plus mobile, 5) No other options were available, 6) No special reason, 7) Cannot say

3.15/If you have a fixed Internet connection or no Internet connection at all, would you get along only with a mobile broadband connection?/1) Yes, 2) No

3.16/If you don’t have a fixed Internet connection currently, have you had it at some point in time in your household?/1) Yes, 2) No

3.17/If you have had a fixed Internet connection at some point in time in your household, what was the primary reason for giving it up?/1) Expensive price, 2) Low usage, 3) Slow connection, 4) Fixed Internet connections were no more available, e.g., due to moving out or termination of the agreement, 5) You were not satisfied with the quality of service, e.g., due to customer service or lost connections, 6) Other, what?, 7) None of them, 8) Cannot say

3.18a-3.18 h/Do you especially need a fast connection for some of the following? Say yes to all relevant./a) Digital transactions, b) Listening to music, c) Computer gaming, d) Down- and uploading of programs and other large files, e) Remote work or study, f) Other, what?, g) Connection speed is not important to me, h) Cannot say

1.1.4 Theme 4: Contract types with service provider, Internet access speed versus monthly payments

4.1/If you have a mobile phone subscription, what is the primary contract validity period?/1) Continued until further notice, 2) Terminable, a year or below (original duration of contract), 3) Terminable, over a year (original duration of contract), 4) Terminable (length not remembered), 5) Paid by employer (e.g., phone benefit), 6) Cannot say

4.2/If you have an Internet connection subscription, what is the primary contract validity period?/1) Continued until further notice, 2) Terminable, a year or below (original duration of contract), 3) Terminable, over a year (original duration of contract), 4) Terminable (length not remembered), 5) Paid by employer (e.g., phone benefit), 6) Cannot say

4.3/If you have a mobile Internet subscription (mobile broadband or other), how do you pay for the data transmission?/1) Fixed monthly fee, unlimited usage, 2) Fixed monthly fee with decreasing speeds above a certain limit, 3) Fixed monthly fee with extra fees charged above a certain limit, 4) Charging based on usage amount, 5) Employer pays, 6) Other, 7) Cannot say

4.4/If a limit for data transmission exists, how many gigabytes of unlimited data is included in the fixed priced part of the monthly fee?/1) Below 1 GB, 2) 1 GBs, 3) 5 GBs, 4) 20 GBs, 5) 50 GBs or more, 6) Cannot say

4.5/If you have an Internet connection subscription, what is the monthly fee of your primary Internet connection?/1) 10 Euros or less, 2) 10.01-15 Euros, 3) 15.01-20 Euros, 4) 20.01-25 Euros, 5) 25.01-30 Euros, 6) 30.01-35 Euros, 7) 35.01-40 Euros, 8) 40.01-45 Euros, 9) 45.01-50 Euros, 10) 50.01-60 Euros, 11) 60.01-70 Euros, 12) 71.01-80 Euros, 13) 81.01-90 Euros, 14) Over 90 Euros, 15) Cannot say

1.1.5 Theme 5: Demographic questions

5.1 GENDER/What is your gender?/1) Female, 2) Male

5.2 COMMUNES/In which commune are you currently living?/Commune number

5.3 AGE/What is your age?/Number of years

5.4 RESIDENCE/Is your home located…?/1) In a rural area, 2) In an urban area, 3) In a city center, 4) Cannot say

5.5 LIFESITUATION/Are you at the moment…?/1) A student, 2) Working, 3) A pensioner, 4) Unemployed or laid-off, 5) Other, 6) Cannot say

5.6 HOUSEHOLD/How many individuals belong to your household including yourself?/Number of individuals

1.1.6 Theme 6: Other questions

6.1u TRANSACTIONS, 6.2u MUSIC, 6.3u GAMES, 6.4u FILETRANSFER, 6.5u REMOTEWORK, 6.6/To which of the following purposes do you use the Internet during free time? Say yes to all relevant./1) Digital transactions, 2) Listening to music, 3) Computer gaming, 4) Down- and uploading of programs and other large files, 5) Remote work or study, 6) Other, what?

6.8/Do you have a landline, an Internet connection (with any technique/way), or a personal mobile phone voice subscription in your household?/Cannot say

6.9, 6.1/Which of the following mobile services have you used or are using actively? Say yes to all relevant./1) None of the listed, 2) Cannot say

1.2 Appendix 2

NF of survey questions, calculated from an MWST learned BN. Red cells denotes 10 highest NF values. The values correspond to the BN in Fig. 2.

1.3 Appendix 3

Table 2 Predefined states for perceived importance and usage intensity of interpersonal communications services

1.4 Appendix 4

Table 3 The p-values and other statistical metrics for studied relationships

1.5 Appendix 5

Fig. 6

Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAG) from two learning algorithms, MWST (upper part) and EQ (lower part) using 100 survey questions as variables with SC = 1

1.6 Appendix 6

Table 4 Comparison of causal strengths: Pearl’s do-calculus using causal BN, the same using BN and Jouffe’s Likelihood Matching using BN. The numerical value is difference between maximum and minimum conditional mean of target value given mean of each range of AGE and 1.5iFB

1.7 Appendix 7

Fig. 7

Comparison of causal strengths: Pearl’s do-calculus using causal BN (denoted as do Causal with solid line), the same using BN (denoted as do with dotted line) and Jouffe’s Likelihood Matching (denoted as DE with dotted line) using BN as conditional mean of target value given mean of each range of AGE and 1.5iFB