The awareness factors of smart technologies for independent living at home among individuals in an aging society : doctoral dissertation

Rebrica, Natalija (author), Petrovčič, Andraž (mentor), Tuškej Lovšin, Urška (comentor)

Contemporary society is rapidly aging, increasing the need for older adults to age in place and maintain independence within their own homes. Despite the rapid development of smart technologies for independent living at home (STILH) that support this need, their adoption remains low, also due to the low levels of awareness. As the first stage of individual decision-making and one of the important drivers of adoption, awareness remains underexplored, particularly regarding the factors that shape it. To address this gap, this dissertation provides a conceptual overview and empirical test of STILH awareness factors by proposing a conceptual model that integrates insights from consumer behavior, information processing, and technology adoption theories. The model is based on 13 hypotheses positing that awareness is directly driven by exposure to information about STILH, source expertise, self-source congruity, and innovativeness. In addition, the model proposes that exposure is enhanced by source expertise, self-source congruity, and innovativeness, while innovativeness itself is affected by inherent novelty-seeking, supportive subjective norm, and digital self-efficacy. Finally, these three factors are hypothesized to further increase exposure to information about STILH, creating a comprehensive path toward awareness. This model was tested using structural equation modeling on survey data from 1,200 internet users aged 55+ in Slovenia, collected in June 2024. The results support 11 out of 13 proposed hypotheses. Innovativeness emerged as the strongest direct predictor of STILH awareness, followed by information exposure. Source expertise and self-source congruity also directly affect awareness, though their effects are comparatively weaker. These findings suggest that interventions to scale up STILH awareness should prioritize raising awareness through exposure to high-quality information. By targeting older adults who are more receptive to innovation, campaigns could also reach those less inclined toward new technologies, thereby promoting a more widespread uptake of STILH. This, in turn, could enable older adults to age in place and improve their quality of life.

• Language: English
• Keywords: conceptual model, smart technology, adoption, older adults, independent living at home, awareness
• Work type: Doctoral dissertation
• Typology: 2.08 - Doctoral Dissertation
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: N. Rebrica Miholič
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 303 str.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-187079
• UDC: 303:316.77(043.3)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 290461955
• Publication date in RUL: 09.09.2026

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Dejavniki zavedanja o pametnih tehnologijah za samostojno življenje doma med posamezniki v starajoči se družbi : doktorska disertacija

Abstract

Sodobna družba se hitro stara, kar povečuje potrebo po tem, da bi starejši odrasli čim dlje bivali v domačem okolju in ohranili samostojnost v lastnem domu. Kljub hitremu razvoju pametnih tehnologij za samostojno bivanje doma (STILH), ki podpirajo to potrebo, njihova uporaba ni razširjena, tudi zaradi nizke stopnje zavedanja. Čeprav je zavedanje prva stopnja v posameznikovem odločanju in pomemben dejavnik prisvojitve tehnologij, ostaja premalo raziskano, zlasti v smislu dejavnikov, ki nanj vplivajo. Za zapolnitev te vrzeli disertacija podaja teoretično razčlenitev in empirični preizkus dejavnikov zavedanja o STILH z razvojem konceptualnega modela, ki vključuje spoznanja iz teorij vedenja potrošnikov, procesiranja informacij in prisvojitve tehnologij. Model temelji na 13 hipotezah, ki predvidevajo, da so neposredni dejavniki zavedanja izpostavljenost informacijam, strokovnost vira, skladnost vira s prejemnikom informacij ter inovativnost. Hkrati model predlaga, da strokovnost vira, skladnost vira s prejemnikom informacij in inovativnost vplivajo na izpostavljenost, medtem ko na samo inovativnost vplivajo iskanje novosti, podporna subjektivna norma in samoučinkovitost pri uporabi digitalnih tehnologij. Slednje tri spremenljivke predstavljajo tudi dejavnike, ki povečujejo izpostavljenost informacijam o STILH, kar posredno vodi v višjo stopnjo zavedanja. Model je bil empirično preverjen z metodo strukturnih enačb na anketnih podatkih, zbranih v juniju 2024 na vzorcu 1.200 uporabnikov interneta v Sloveniji, starejših od 55 let. Rezultati so potrdili veljavnost 11 od 13 hipotez. Inovativnost se je izkazala za najmočnejši neposredni dejavnik zavedanja o STILH, sledila ji je izpostavljenost informacijam. Strokovnost vira in skladnost vira s prejemnikom informacij prav tako neposredno vplivata na zavedanje, čeprav sta njuna učinka razmeroma šibkejša. Ugotovitve kažejo, da bi morali ukrepi za povečanje zavedanja o STILH krepiti zavedanje prek izpostavljenosti kakovostnim informacijam. Z usmerjanjem na starejše odrasle, ki so bolj dovzetni za inovacije, bi lahko intervencije dosegle tudi tiste starejše odrasle, ki so manj naklonjeni novim tehnologijam, s čimer bi dosegli bolj množično uporabo STILH, kar bi starejšim odraslim omogočilo višjo kakovost življenja in staranje doma.

• Keywords: konceptualni model, pametna tehnologija, prisvojitev, starejši odrasli, samostojno življenje doma, zavedanje