The use of voice assistants by older adults in everyday life: a scoping study : master's thesis

Kostikj, Angela (author), Lobe, Bojana (mentor), Hvalič Touzery, Simona (comentor)

The aim of this master’s thesis was to conduct a scoping study on the existing literature regarding the ways older adults use voice assistants in their everyday lives at home, as well as the factors of adoption of voice assistants by community-dwelling older adults. I reviewed the bibliographic databases Scopus and ProQuest and included publications written in English between the years 2016 and 2025. Out of 656 search results, 21 articles addressing uses and factors of adoption of voice assistants by older adults were selected for the scoping study. The results showed three main groups of factors of adoption: personal, technological, and environmental. These were also divided according to the temporality: before voice assistant use, and after voice assistant use. Regarding the different uses of voice assistants at home, I discovered seven main use categories: entertainment, information/education, personal assistance, health, communication, social/emotional support, and smart home control. This master's thesis provides detailed insight into the facilitators and barriers to adoption of voice assistants in the form of smart speakers by older adults and the ways older adults use these devices. My research also points out the complexity of the subject, the contextual impact, and the need for more extensive research on the subject.

• Language: English
• Keywords: voice assistants, older adults, factors of adoption/acceptance/acceptability, everyday life at home, scoping study
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: A. Kostikj
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 1 spletni vir (1 datoteka PDF (97 str.))
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-174161
• UDC: 659.23:004:316.728-053.88(043.2)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 257303043
• Publication date in RUL: 29.09.2025

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Uporaba glasovnih pomočnikov pri starejših odraslih v vsakdanjem življenju: področni pregled literature : magistrsko delo

Abstract

Cilj magistrskega dela je bil opraviti področni pregled obstoječe literature o uporabe glasovnih pomočnikov pri starejših odraslih v vsakdanjem življenju doma, ter o dejavnikih usvajanja glasovnih pomočnikov med starejših odraslih ki živijo doma. Pregledala sem bibliografske baze Scopus in ProQuest in vključila besedila, napisana v angleščini, med letoma 2016 in 2025. Izmed 656 zajetih prispevkov sem v končno analizo vključila 21 prispevkov ki obravnavajo uporabe ter dejavnike sprejemanja glasovnih pomočnikov med starejših odraslih. Rezultati so pokazali tri glavnih skupin dejavnikov sprejemanja: osebni, tehnološki, ter okoljski. Te so tudi bile razdeljene po časovnosti: pred uporabo glasovnih pomočnikov in po uporabi glasovnih pomočnikov. Glede na različne uporabe glasovnih pomočnikov doma, razkrila sem sedem glavnih kategorij uporab: zabava, informativna/edukativna, osebna asistenca, zdravlje, komunikacija, društvena/emotivna podpora, ter kontrola pametnega doma. Moje magistrsko delo ponuja podroben vpogled v pospeševalce ter ovire pri sprejemanju glasovnih pomočnikov v obliki pametnih zvočnikov med starejših odraslih, ter načine, kako starejši odrasli uporabljajo te naprave. Moj pregled tudi ukazuje na kompleksnosti teme, vpliva kontekstualnosti, ter potrebo do več ter obsežnejše raziskave na to temo.

• Keywords: glasovni pomočniki, starejši odrasli, dejavniki usvajanja/sprejemanja/sprejemljivosti, vsakdanje življenje doma, področni pregled literature