Authors:
Eva-Maria Schomakers
and
Martina Ziefle
Affiliation:
Human-Computer-Interaction Center, Chair for Communication Science, RWTH Aachen University, Campus-Boulevard 57, 52072 Aachen and Germany
Keyword(s):
Ambient Assisted Living, Privacy Concerns, Maximum Difference Scaling, Older Adults.
Abstract:
Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) Technologies may help address the challenges that the ageing populations pose on the health care systems by supporting older adults in ageing-in-place, improving independence, and quality of care. Technology acceptance by the potential users and particularly privacy concerns are decisive obstacles to the widespread use of AAL. In order to examine privacy perceptions in detail, 86 participants (50% older than 50 years) evaluated AAL technologies and privacy concerns in a questionnaire approach. Additionally, with Maximum Difference Scaling the importance of AAL system characteristics to privacy perceptions by the users was investigated. Overall, the attitude towards AAL is positive, privacy concerns regarding the misuse of data, feeling of surveillance, and obtrusiveness of the technology are prevalent but not tremendous. Who has access to the data is by far the most important characteristic of an AAL system for the users’ privacy. Prominence of the syste
m, sensor location, and sensor types are least important. The results contribute an important understanding of how AAL technologies need to be designed to respect users privacy.
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