Knowledge mapping and evolution of research on older adults’ technology acceptance: a bibliometric study from 2013 to 2023

ARTICLE https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03658-2 OPEN Knowledge mapping and evolution of research on older adults’ technology acceptance: a bibliometric study from 2013 to 2023 1234567890():,; Xianru Shang 1, Zijian Liu1, Chen Gong1, Zhigang Hu1, Yuexuan Wu1 & Chengliang Wang 2✉ The rapid expansion of information technology and the intensification of population aging are two prominent features of contemporary societal development. Investigating older adults’ acceptance and use of technology is key to facilitating their integration into an informationdriven society. Given this context, the technology acceptance of older adults has emerged as a prioritized research topic, attracting widespread attention in the academic community. However, existing research remains fragmented and lacks a systematic framework. To address this gap, we employed bibliometric methods, utilizing the Web of Science Core Collection to conduct a comprehensive review of literature on older adults’ technology acceptance from 2013 to 2023. Utilizing VOSviewer and CiteSpace for data assessment and visualization, we created knowledge mappings of research on older adults’ technology acceptance. Our study employed multidimensional methods such as co-occurrence analysis, clustering, and burst analysis to: (1) reveal research dynamics, key journals, and domains in this field; (2) identify leading countries, their collaborative networks, and core research institutions and authors; (3) recognize the foundational knowledge system centered on theoretical model deepening, emerging technology applications, and research methods and evaluation, uncovering seminal literature and observing a shift from early theoretical and influential factor analyses to empirical studies focusing on individual factors and emerging technologies; (4) moreover, current research hotspots are primarily in the areas of factors influencing technology adoption, human-robot interaction experiences, mobile health management, and aging-in-place technology, highlighting the evolutionary context and quality distribution of research themes. Finally, we recommend that future research should deeply explore improvements in theoretical models, long-term usage, and user experience evaluation. Overall, this study presents a clear framework of existing research in the field of older adults’ technology acceptance, providing an important reference for future theoretical exploration and innovative applications. 1 School of Art and Design, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, China. 2 Department of Education Information Technology, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. ✉email: HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS | (2024)11:1115 | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03658-2 1 ARTICLE I HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03658-2 Introduction n contemporary society, the rapid development of information technology has been intricately intertwined with the intensifying trend of population aging. According to the latest United Nations forecast, by 2050, the global population aged 65 and above is expected to reach 1.6 billion, representing about 16% of the total global population (UN 2023). Given the significant challenges of global aging, there is increasing evidence that emerging technologies have significant potential to maintain health and independence for older adults in their home and healthcare environments (Barnard et al. 2013; Soar 2010; Vancea and Solé-Casals 2016). This includes, but is not limited to, enhancing residential safety with smart home technologies (Touqeer et al. 2021; Wang et al. 2022), improving living independence through wearable technologies (Perez et al. 2023), and increasing medical accessibility via telehealth services (Kruse et al. 2020). Technological innovations are redefining the lifestyles of older adults, encouraging a shift from passive to active participation (González et al. 2012; Mostaghel 2016). Nevertheless, the effective application and dissemination of technology still depends on user acceptance and usage intentions (Naseri et al. 2023; Wang et al. 2023a; Xia et al. 2024; Yu et al. 2023). Particularly, older adults face numerous challenges in accepting and using new technologies. These challenges include not only physical and cognitive limitations but also a lack of technological experience, along with the influences of social and economic factors (Valk et al. 2018; Wilson et al. 2021). User acceptance of technology is a significant focus within information systems (IS) research (Dai et al. 2024), with several models developed to explain and predict user behavior towards technology usage, including the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis 1989), TAM2, TAM3, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh et al. 2003). Older adults, as a group with unique needs, exhibit different behavioral patterns during technology acceptance than other user groups, and these uniquenesses include changes in cognitive abilities, as well as motivations, attitudes, and perceptions of the use of new technologies (Chen and Chan 2011). The continual expansion of technology introduces considerable challenges for older adults, rendering the understanding of their technology acceptance a research priority. Thus, conducting indepth research into older adults’ acceptance of technology is critically important for enhancing their integration into the information society and improving their quality of life through technological advancements. Reviewing relevant literature to identify research gaps helps further solidify the theoretical foundation of the research topic. However, many existing literature reviews primarily focus on the factors influencing older adults’ acceptance or intentions to use technology. For instance, Ma et al. (2021) conducted a comprehensive analysis of the determinants of older adults’ behavioral intentions to use technology; Liu et al. (2022) categorized key variables in studies of older adults’ technology acceptance, noting a shift in focus towards social and emotional factors; Yap et al. (2022) identified seven categories of antecedents affecting older adults’ use of technology from an analysis of 26 articles, including technological, psychological, social, personal, cost, behavioral, and environmental factors; Schroeder et al. (2023) extracted 119 influencing factors from 59 articles and further categorized these into six themes covering demographics, health status, and emotional awareness. Additionally, some studies focus on the application of specific technologies, such as Ferguson et al. (2021), who explored barriers and facilitators to older adults using wearable devices for heart monitoring, and He et al. (2022) and Baer et al. (2022), who each conducted in-depth investigations into the acceptance of social assistive robots and mobile nutrition and 2 fitness apps, respectively. (...truncated)