The impact of short-term companionship with social robots on technological anxiety among women at different behavioral levels of exercise
Linda, Li-Chuan Lin, 'Chia-Yu, Lin, 'Mi-Chia Ma, 2Kelvin Tan.
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AbstractPURPOSE: The rapid advancement of technology, coupled with increasing longevity, presents both opportunities and challenges for older adults as they adapt to new digital tools. Middle-aged and older women often face psychological and social changes during aging, including potential declines in subjective well-being and heightened technology anxiety [1]. This study aimed to evaluate the social companion robot LOVOT's sociability and usefulness among different regular exercise behaviors after interacting with the robot. METHOD: A quasi-experimental design was employed with 45 middle-aged and older women recruited from communities in southern Taiwan to participate in the study. Specifically, participants were aged 55 years or above (mean age = 65.18 ± 6.22 years), possessed basic language comprehension and reading abilities, and had no significant cognitive impairments. Based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), they were classified into a regular exercise group (N=23) and an irregular exercise group (N=22). Participants engaged in a 15-minute session with the social companion robot LOVOT, involving visual, tactile, and conversational interactions, followed by a baby-like hugging experience. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured perceived robot sociability and usefulness, and changes (post-pre)/pre in STAM indicators: attitudinal beliefs, control beliefs, and gerontechnology anxiety. Mann-Whitney U test, one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and Chi-square tests were applied to analyse the differences between groups of the social companion robot. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A quasi-experimental design was employed with 45 middle-aged and older women recruited from communities in southern Taiwan to participate in the study. Specifically, participants were aged 55 years or above (mean age = 65.18 ± 6.22 years), possessed basic language comprehension and reading abilities, and had no significant cognitive impairments. Based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), they were classified into a regular exercise group (N=23) and an irregular exercise group (N=22). Participants engaged in a 15-minute session with the social companion robot LOVOT, involving visual, tactile, and conversational interactions, followed by a baby-like hugging experience. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured perceived robot sociability and usefulness, and changes (post-pre)/pre in STAM indicators: attitudinal beliefs, control beliefs, and gerontechnology anxiety. Mann-Whitney U test, one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and Chi-square tests were applied to analyse the differences between groups of the social companion robot.Keywords: technology anxiety, control beliefs, attitudinal beliefs, usefulness of robots, Transtheoretical Model(TTM)
Linda, Li-Chuan Lin, 'Chia-Yu, Lin, 'Mi-Chia Ma, 2Kelvin Tan. (2026). The impact of short-term companionship with social robots on technological anxiety among women at different behavioral levels of exercise. Gerontechnology, 25(2), 1-10
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2026.25.2.1264.3