Investigating How Older Korean Immigrants Construct Meaning With a Companion Robot: A Narrative Analysis of User Experiences

Abstract

In light of the effects of cultural differences, language barriers, limited social networks on Korean American older immigrants, we investigate their utilization of companion robots as a potential remedy to tackle the issue of social isolation. Subsequently, we detail our research approach, encompassing participants, environments, analytical framework, the viewpoints of the researchers, and the research procedure. Our results demonstrate how older adults shape stories that result in the emergence of a companion robot named Hyodol as a quasi-human entity. We conclude by discussing how older immigrants attribute personal significance to having the companion robot as a “meaningful other,” and how they imbue the concept of “active aging” as socially significant, and as such, actively engage with the companion robot. We also address the study’s limitations and propose future research avenues.