Not in My Body: Emotional Determinants Underlying Use Intention Differences Between Invasive and Noninvasive Cyborg Technologies in Human-Computer Interaction

Humans and machines are becoming increasingly intertwined as technological enhancements to the human body become more prevalent in everyday life and medicine. Therefore, understanding emotional responses to such technologies is becoming increasingly important. This study examines the mediating role of emotional responses to noninvasive and invasive cyborg devices in predicting the intention to use them. Extending previous research on technology acceptance, we examine fear, joy, and disgust as distinct explanatory variables that account for differences in intention to use between wearables and insideables (i.e., implants). Using an experimental between-subjects vignette design (N = 624), we compared emotional reactions and usage intentions toward devices that were either placed on or under the skin. Participants reported lower usage intentions for implants than for wearables. This effect was fully mediated by the three emotions, with fear showing the strongest mediation. By considering one positive and two negative emotions the findings highlight emotion-specific perspectives.