Research project by Dietmar Jakob

Title: Handling of voice-controlled devices by elderly people and their usability in everyday life (Dietmar Jakob)

Brief description of context: The accelerating pace of digitization is permeating many areas of people's lives. Analog processes are being adapted to digital processes and are fundamentally changing the lives of all generations. Numerous studies have already shown that the group of older people in particular is partly overwhelmed by the technologies, the speed and the effects of digitalization or feels disconnected. Voice assistants differ from haptically operated smartphones, tablets or PCs in the design of the user interface. Interaction with the devices takes place via natural speech input and output and is similar to human-to-human communication. Due to the similarity to interpersonal communication, it could be assumed that this form of interaction reduces the barriers to the use of digital technologies, facilitates the operation of digital technologies and enables easy access to digital services.

Research question: To what extent do older people learn how to use voice-controlled devices (learnability), how do older people perceive the operation of the devices, for what purposes are they used in everyday life (usability) and what reasons prevent older people from using them?

Objective: The central component of the PhD project is how elderly people learn to use voice-controlled devices or voice assistants (learnability). The work will also investigate whether older people can cope with the operation of the devices and for what purposes they are used (usability). Furthermore, reservations that prevent the use of the devices will be identified. The findings should help further research projects to understand how older people deal with innovative technologies differently than other population groups.

Contributions in the literature on voice-controlled devices or voice assistants and older people, can be found mainly in human-computer interaction (HCI) research or in computer science. There are significant gaps in the scientific literature on the topic regarding research with older people and voice-controlled devices. This work aims to fill this gap.

The work is also intended to help device developers and designers gain insight into what older people want when designing voice interfaces. In addition, the paper should provide an incentive to continue involving older people in research as digitization accelerates.

Method: Various scientific methods will be used in the PhD project. In a laboratory experiment, the speech recognition accuracy of individual speech-controlled devices will be investigated. A systematic literature review will provide information about the current state of research on the topic. By means of a written survey among elderly people, knowledge, ownership and possible reservations about voice-controlled devices will be elicited. A field study using a mixed-methods approach (quantitative, IT-based data collection and qualitative guided interviews) will complete the research.

Content: The PhD project aims to determine whether voice-controlled devices or voice assistants are suitable for facilitating access to digital technologies for older people due to their presumed ease of learning and use, and thus enabling greater participation in digital society and digital services.

Timeframe: Completion is planned by 31.12.2023.

Participating institutions/persons:

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Bleyer (University of Passau), Prof. Dr. Diane Ahrens (Technical University of Deggendorf), Prof. Dr. Harald Kosch (University of Passau)