In this paper we present a methodological variation of assessing emotional attachment of children and adults to the robotic pet AIBO, using an atypical application area (a shopping mall) and leaving the participation in the study as totally voluntary. This free exploration case study was situated in a shopping mall for three reasons: People do not expect a robotic pet in this context (first time reaction) and the context allows to address a high number of possible participants and to create an awareness for robots in general. To investigate the methodological concept and to find out if such a setting can be beneficial for a better understanding of the influence of first time contact with a robotic pet to the emotional attachment, we conducted the case study on three consecutive work days. We could show that this method reveals interesting and novel aspects on the development of emotional attachment.
This paper is aimed at studying information technology acceptance in an automotive context. Most models of technology acceptance focus on barriers of successful information technology implementation in organizations, while factors that take the contextual situation into account are neglected. We address this issue through deriving context-related determinants from an extensive literature review and a content analysis, and we further describe a technology acceptance modeling process to provide an explanation for drivers' acceptance of in-car technology. Based on our evaluation we take the determinants safety and anxiety into consideration, and propose a theoretical car technology acceptance model (CTAM) by incorporating these determinants into the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. Our modeling approach and proposed questionnaire support decision processes regarding in-vehicle information system implementation in the automotive industry as well as behavior prediction for research purposes.
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