Aging, Technology, and Psychology

Abstract

Abstract. Many older people suffer from functional declines and activity limitations, which reduce their autonomy and quality of life. Assistive technologies (ATs) could dampen such effects. However, many older people do not use ATs and it is important to understand, why they give away their benefits. In this article, we look at older peoples’ use of ATs from an action perspective on human development elaborated by Brandtstädter and colleagues. We review from this viewpoint models of AT use created mostly in information systems technology, business administration, and management sciences. The major focus is on the extent to which these models consider the relevant internal (mental) and external context of AT use, possible action alternatives, and autonomous, vicarious, and joint modes of decision-making about AT use. Systematic literature searches in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar led us to 23 models. None of them contained as central variables any perceived discrepancies between the actual and desired developmental situation or any goals to reduce these discrepancies. No model included action alternatives to AT use beyond non-use such as trying harder on oneself, making environmental adaptations or using personal support. All models conceive of AT use as an act of the individual user, but neglected decision making about AT use by other persons on his or her behalf or a joint decision making of a potential user together with other persons (e.g., relatives). We discuss the background of these gaps, possibilities of a more comprehensive modeling of AT use, and practical implications (e.g., developmental counseling).