Acceptance of social assistant robots for the older adults living in the community in China

Abstract

BackgroundSocial assistant robots (SARs) are an important part of providing high quality health and social care for older people, and are an effective measure to promote the development of smart aging. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that influence the acceptance of assistive robots by older adults. PurposeTo investigate the acceptance of SARs for older adults living in the community and explore its influencing factors. Methods207 elderly was invited to answer a questionnaire after watching a SAR video and discussing it. Participants’ characteristics, physical health status, general self-efficacy, personality trait and acceptance toward SARs were recorded and analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis. Resultsshowed that the degree of acceptance among older adults living in the community was moderate(2.55±0.86), and the acceptance rate was 51.0%. Whether to use mobile devices(smartphones, computers, robots), the experience of using mobile service devices, perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, perceived ease of use and attitude were the main affecting factors (P<0.05). ConclusionsThe elderly Chinese in the community have a low acceptance of SARs. The higher the perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment and perceived ease of use, the more positive attitude to using. The elderly who has the experience of using mobile service devices have a higher acceptance of SARs.