Beyond Convenience: The Role of Emotions in the Adoption of Sustainable Technologies

Abstract

The slow adoption of sustainable technologies is cause for concern in an increasingly resource strained world. This study attempts to build on two main bodies of research: (1) a general technology adoption framework; i.e. the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and (2) work on the psychological design for affect; i.e. affective design. The purpose of this study is to report on the development and psychometric properties of the scales that will be used to assess the adoption of the Interface® Urban RetreatTM carpets (a sustainable carpet using recycled materials and possessing biophilic characteristics) in a follow up study. The Semantic Differential Scale developed for these carpets produced a wide range of affective qualities. The scale did not, however, support the underlying structure of Evaluative, Potency, and Activity as proposed by Osgood et al. (1957). The UTAUT scales presented with reasonable to good internal reliability and with the exception of ‘perceived effort’, the subscales were correlated with intention to adopt. Based on these two preliminary studies, the scales will be revised and then administered to determine the complementary roles of the utilitarian factors (based on the UTAUT) and emotional factors (based on the semantic differential scale developed for this purpose).

Keywords: affective design, sustainable technology, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, biophilia

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe100562