Name: Emily Gleaton 

Master’s Thesis Defense Meeting 

Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023 

Time: 11:00 AM 

Room location/number: Georgia Tech Library - Price Gilbert 4222 

Optional Zoom Meeting Link: click here 

Password: 667416 

Advisor: Richard Catrambone, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)  

Thesis Committee Members:
Bradley Fain, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech) 

Bruce Walker, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech) 

Title: Understanding the Disuse of Conversational Agents among Older Adults  

Abstract:  Smart technologies have the potential to enhance the aging experience for older adults by helping them age in place and by improving their overall quality of life. However, despite the potential benefits of adopting these technologies, a substantial number of older adults discontinue using them. To gain a deeper understanding of the concept of technology disuse and the underlying factors that contribute to it, a comprehensive literature review was conducted. This review shed light on the potential roles of impulsivity, psychosocial experience, and user experience with technology in influencing disuse behavior. A mixed-methods research study was conducted with 82 older adults who had previously adopted conversational agent technology but no longer use the device. Results revealed a significant positive correlation between psychosocial experience and user experience, demonstrating the impact of social and environmental factors on older adults’ perceptions of technology usability. Furthermore, the study found no evidence supporting the role of impulsivity in technology disuse. Ways of further exploring this issue are proposed. Lastly, the results indicated that as participants’ psychosocial experience with the technology improved, they exhibited a decreased inclination to abandon it. The qualitative portion of the research unveiled a perceived risk associated with using this technology due to concerns of data breaches and distrust of the companies that made the device. Ultimately, this risk perception also led to disuse among some participants. Additionally, using technology was found to impact participants’ sense of autonomy, which also contributed to disuse. The theoretical and applied contributions of this work are discussed. In conclusion, this research provides a multifaceted understanding of technology disuse among older adults, combining theoretical and practical insights to guide the development of technology that enhances older adult’s experiences.