For successful energy transitions, social acceptance of innovative technologies is essential. In order to determine the contributing factors, the acceptance of bio-digestion in The Netherlands was analyzed. A discourse analysis of 200 newspaper articles was conducted to answer the question: how do different parties speak about bio-digestion? Discourse analysis is suitable for making underlying concerns and dilemmas of people more explicit. Thus, one can be more in line with people’s sensitivities in communication and policy, both of which play a crucial role in facilitating transition. The results show that there is little support for bio-digesters in residential areas. The relation between municipalities and residents is poor and asymmetric. The municipalities emphasize their role as experts, thus reinforcing incomprehension. Furthermore, they do not take responsibility and avoid confrontations, contradicting research on the significance of discussions when dealing with innovations (Leeuwis & Aarts, 2011).
DOCUMENT
Airborne wind energy (AWE) systems use tethered flying devices to harvest higher-altitude winds to produce electricity. For the success of the technology, it is crucial to understand how people perceive and respond to it. If concerns about the technology are not taken seriously, it could delay or prevent implementation, resulting in increased costs for project developers and a lower contribution to renewable energy targets. This literature review assessed the current state of knowledge on the social acceptance of AWE. A systematic literature search led to the identification of 40 relevant publications that were reviewed. The literature expected that the safety, visibility, acoustic emissions, ecological impacts, and the siting of AWE systems impact to which extent the technology will be accepted. The reviewed literature viewed the social acceptance of AWE optimistically but lacked scientific evidence to back up its claims. It seemed to overlook the fact that the impact of AWE’s characteristics (e.g., visibility) on people’s responses will also depend on a range of situational and psychological factors (e.g., the planning process, the community’s trust in project developers). Therefore, empirical social science research is needed to increase the field’s understanding of the acceptance of AWE and thereby facilitate development and deployment.
DOCUMENT
Vegetables have low taste intensities, which might contribute to low acceptance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of taste (sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, and saltiness) and fattiness enhancement on consumer acceptance of cucumber and green capsicum purees. Three concentrations of sugar, citric acid, caffeine, mono-sodium glutamate, NaCl, and sunflower oil were added to pureed cucumber and green capsicum. Subjects (n = 66,35.6 ± 17.7 y) rated taste and fattiness intensity. Different subjects (n = 100, 33.2 ± 16.5 years) evaluated acceptance of all pureed vegetables. Taste intensities of vegetable purees were significantly different (P < 0.05) between the three tastant concentrations except for umami in both vegetable purees, sourness in green capsicum puree, and fattiness in cucumber puree. Only enhancement of sweetness significantly (P < 0.05) increased acceptance of both vegetable purees compared to unmodified purees. In cucumber purees, relatively small amounts of added sucrose (2%) increased acceptance already significantly, whereas in green capsicum acceptance increased significantly only with addition of 5% sucrose. Enhancement of other taste modalities did not significantly increase acceptance of both vegetable purees. Enhancing saltiness and bitterness significantly decreased acceptance of both vegetable purees. We conclude that the effect of taste enhancement on acceptance of vegetable purees differs between tastants and depends on tastant concentration and vegetable type. With the exception of sweetness, taste enhancement of taste modalities such as sourness, bitterness, umami, and saltiness was insufficient to increase acceptance of vegetable purees. We suggest that more complex taste, flavor, or texture modifications are required to enhance acceptance of vegetables.
DOCUMENT
Smart glasses were perceived to be potentially revolutionary for healthcare, however, there is only limited research on the acceptance and social implications of smart glasses in healthcare. This study aims to get a better insight into the theoretical foundations and the purpose was to identify themes regarding adoption, mediation, and the use of smart glasses from the perspective of healthcare professionals. A qualitative research design with focus groups was used to collect data. Three focus groups with 22 participants were conducted. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Our analysis revealed six overarching themes related to the anticipated adoption of smart glasses: knowledge, innovativeness, use cases, ethical issues, persuasion, and attitude. Nine themes were found related to anticipated mediation and use of smart glasses: attention, emotions, social influences, design, context, camera use, risks, comparisons to known products, and expected reaction and might influence the acceptance of smart glasses.
MULTIFILE
Smart glasses were perceived to be potentially revolutionary for healthcare, however, there is only limited research on the acceptance and social implications of smart glasses in healthcare. This study aims to get a better insight into the theoretical foundations and the purpose was to identify themes regarding adoption, mediation, and the use of smart glasses from the perspective of healthcare professionals. A qualitative research design with focus groups was used to collect data. Three focus groups with 22 participants were conducted. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Our analysis revealed six overarching themes related to the anticipated adoption of smart glasses: knowledge, innovativeness, use cases, ethical issues, persuasion, and attitude. Nine themes were found related to anticipated mediation and use of smart glasses: attention, emotions, social influences, design, context, camera use, risks, comparisons to known products, and expected reaction and might influence the acceptance of smart glasses.
MULTIFILE
For further development of technologies but also for the implementation in real life contexts, it is important to understand users' perspectives on the anticipated use of innovative technologies in an early development phase. In addition, it is also important to get a better understanding of the explanation of this behavior towards technology use in later stages. Although Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) are not really new anymore, the uptake has been slow so far and people showed some extreme reactions. The objective of this study was to analyze the content of YouTube comments on videos of HMDs, in order to get a better understanding of relevant factors in this early phase of potential acceptance of HMDs. We analyzed 379 YouTube comments on HMDs using content analysis. Comments were divided into three groups: HMD, video, and miscellaneous. Comments about HMDs n=24 were further analyzed. Most of the commenters showed a positive attitude to HMDs. Within the positive attitude, the most expressed themes were comments about the type of use (gaming), positive evaluations (emotions, coolness) and perceived need for an HMD. Within the negative attitudes, negative evaluations (judgments, emotions) were showed most and negative comparisons to other products were made. In neutral attitudes, the main theme was the type of use (gaming). The results specify a couple of user needs and social norms and values which people attach in this early phase to HMDs. In this early phase of acceptance, some early adoption observations were found as in when someone talks about the type of use (felt needs) and positive judgments (social norms). Early signs of rejection were found by negative judgments (social norms) and comparisons with other products (previous practice).
DOCUMENT
The temporal dimension of acceptance is under-researched in technology acceptance research. Yet, people’s perceptions on technology use may change over time when gaining user experiences. Our 6-month home study deploying an interactive robot provides insight into the long-term use of use interactive technology in a domestic environment. We present a phased framework for the acceptance of interactive technology in domestic environments. Based on 97 interviews obtained from 21 participants living in different household types, the results provide an initial validation of our phased framework for long-term acceptance showing that acceptance phases are linked to certain user experiences which evolve over time when people gain experience with the technology. Involving end users in the early stages of development helps researchers understand the cultural and social contexts of acceptance and enables developers to apply this gained knowledge into their future designs.
DOCUMENT
Technology in general, and assistive technology in particular, is considered to be a promising opportunity to address the challenges of an aging population. Nevertheless, in health care, technology is not as widely used as could be expected. In this chapter, an overview is given of theories and models that help to understand this phenomenon. First, the design of (assistive) technologies will be addressed and the importance of human-centered design in the development of new assistive devices will be discussed. Also theories and models are addressed about technology acceptance in general. Specific attention will be given to technology acceptance in healthcare professionals, and the implementation of technology within healthcare organizations. The chapter will be based on the state of the art of scientific literature and will be illustrated with examples from our research in daily practice considering the different perspectives of involved stakeholders.
LINK
This paper explores the application of Self-Concepts, a Semantic-Differential Scale-based methodology, to evaluate a Serious Game designed for cognitive impairment assessment using the MoCA test and augmented reality (AR) for mobility analysis. A case study involved seven elderly participants. Despite some challenges in navigating the AR environment and cognitive tests, self-concept evaluations consistently demonstrated high user expectations and positive experiences with the digital artifact. This study validates the process and highlights the potential of Self-Concepts in assessing product acceptance within user groups.
MULTIFILE
