Decoding eHealth Influence on Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness in Older Adults: A Qualitative Analysis of Self-Determination through the Motivational Technology Model (Preprint)

Abstract

Older adults adopt and use eHealth systems to build autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and engage in healthy behaviors. The motivational technology model (MTM) posits that interactive technology features, such as those on websites, smart displays, and mobile phones, must allow for navigability, interactivity, and customizability, which spur feelings of self-determination and intrinsic motivation. We study ElderTree, a web-based system for older adults that provides on demand videos of healthy living content, self-monitoring, and weekly researcher-hosted video meetings.

We aim to understand the theoretical crossover between the MTM and self-determination theory, using features of ElderTree to understand usability of the technology and how it may support older adults autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

We interviewed 22 older adults with multiple chronic conditions about their use of this application and overall health habits.

Older adults did find features within ElderTree supported feelings of autonomy, such as through providing content available on demand; competence, such as with good navigation; and relatedness with weekly researcher-led video calls.

Participants confirmed the features that increased internal motivation, such as interactivity correlating with feelings of relatedness, but they also found other ways to support autonomous health behavior change, beyond narrow views of navigability, interactivity, and customization.