Informing existing technology acceptance models: a qualitative study with older persons and caregivers

Abstract

New technologies can help older persons age in place and support their caregivers. However, they need to be accepted by the end-users to do so. Technology acceptance models, such as TAM and UTAUT and their extensions, use factors like performance expectancy and effort expectancy to explain acceptance. Furthermore, they are based on quantitative methods. Our qualitative study investigates factors fostering and hindering acceptance among older persons and their caregivers for a variety of assistive technologies, including wearables, ambient sensors at home with and without cameras and social companion robots. The goal of this paper is twofold: On the one hand, it investigates the factors of technology acceptance models in a qualitative setting. On the other hand, it informs these models with aspects currently overlooked by them. The results reveal that performance expectancy and effort expectancy are relevant for acceptance. We also find that reliability, anxiety around technology and different social aspects have an influence on acceptance of assistive technology in aged care for all end-user groups. Our findings can be used to update current technology acceptance models and provide in-depth knowledge about the currently used factors.

Evolution of Polish E-Consumers’ Environmental Awareness and Purchasing Behavior over Ten Years

“…Also, the consumer decision-making process offers insights into how consumers navigate the online shopping landscape. Traditionally, this process involves stages such as need recognition, information search, the evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post-purchase evaluation [92,93]. In the context of Polish e-consumers, this paper highlights changes in information search behavior and evaluation criteria over time.…”

“…The results of this paper can be analyzed using the Social Cognitive Theory [92,93], which posits that individuals learn and adapt their behaviors through observation, modeling, and reinforcement [109,110]. In the context of this study, the observed shifts in the attitudes and behaviors of Polish e-consumers towards environmental concerns and online shopping habits can be understood within the framework of Social Cognitive Theory.…”

No playing around with robots? Ambivalent attitudes toward the use of Paro in elder care

“…In this paper, we evaluated the social robot, Paro, to address the research question delineated above. Other manuscripts from the larger study evaluated the acceptance of all technologies using the technology acceptance models (Felber et al, 2024) and examined the monitoring technologies within the framework of care ethics (Martani et al, 2024).…”