Worried, deterred, and still interested: Psychological barriers and older adults’ intentions to adopt smart home technologies

Background and Objectives Smart home technologies (SHTs) hold promise for supporting aging in place, yet older adults’ technology adoption involves more than a straightforward response to perceived benefits. This study examined how privacy concerns and fear of dependency, along with other technology acceptance factors, are associated with behavioral intention to use SHTs, and whether these associations differ between older adults with and without prior SHT experience. Research Design and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of 421 U.S. older adults aged 55 to 80. Drawing on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, we assessed performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions, along with privacy concerns and fear of dependency. Multiple regression analyses with interaction terms were estimated separately for experienced and inexperienced users, and pooled models with three-way interactions tested whether moderating associations differed by prior experience. Results Performance expectancy predicted intention across both groups, while fear of dependency was negatively associated with intention. Privacy concerns strengthened the relationship between social influence and intention, and fear of dependency strengthened the relationship between performance expectancy and intention among experienced users. The moderating association of privacy concerns did not differ significantly by experience, whereas the moderating association of fear of dependency did. Discussion and Implications Concerns about privacy and dependency were associated with the conditions under which older adults found SHTs compelling, suggesting that endorsement from trusted others and clear evidence of functional benefit may matter most for those who hold such concerns.