Why do older people love and hate assistive technology? ‒ an emotional experience perspective

Abstract

Assistive technology is increasingly valued to support older people with functional decline and disabilities. Inspired by classical theories on technology acceptance, emotional experience, and psychological needs, this study aimed to better understand the use of assistive technology by older people. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong (mean age = 67.47, standard deviation = 7.96). Thematic analysis was used to generate themes. Positive and negative emotional experiences emerged as two themes. The theme of positive emotional experiences is associated with enhanced security, independence, and relativeness. However, assistive technology may also produce anxiety, frustration, stigma, isolation, and risks that induce negative emotional experiences. These findings indicate that older users’ emotional and psychological concerns should be addressed and reflected in the process of assistive technology product design and implementation.

Practitioner summary: To enhance the well-being of older people through the application of assistive technology, it is necessary to maximise autonomy or independence, enhance social relativeness, and lift self-competence to evoke positive emotional experiences.