Presentation of Effective Factors on the Decisions to Use Smartphones in the Field of Exercise: Applying the Technology Acceptance Model and Flow Theory

Due to the rapid growth of smartphones and their capabilities, these phones have become an essential personal medium for searching information, social communication, economic activities, and advertising, especially in sports. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the use of smartphones in sport. The research method was descriptive correlational. The statistical population included physical education students of Kurdistan University (280 students) in undergraduate, postgraduate and postgraduate studies, all of them selected as samples. A total of 201 complete questionnaires (72 women and 129 male) were used for analysis. In order to achieve the goals of the research, the history of the initial questionnaire was defined proportionate to the purpose of the research. The face and content validity of it was evaluated by experts (7) using the carcass model (CVR = 0.84) and its construct validity was verified using confirmatory factor analysis. Also, the internal consistency of the questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and structural equation model were used to examine the fit of the research model. The results of the study showed that the perceptions of the technology acceptance model, special characteristics of sport and flow theory have a significant effect on the decision to use smartphones in sport. Therefore, sports marketers can use it in various sports fields considering these factors and the capabilities of this valuable technology.