Consumers' acceptance of wearable technology: Examining solar-powered clothing

Unlike mere technological devices, wearable technology is complex, since it is considered both a device and a garment, integrating attributes of clothing and technology with the human wearer. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of various factors that influence acceptance of wearable technology, specifically, solar-powered clothing. Solarpowered clothing was chosen as the topic of this research due to the increasing focus and development of the product by researchers (Cho, 2010; Schubert & Merz, 2009) and the proenvironmental attributes of the product. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study extended the model and examined the effects of seven consumer-oriented variables on consumers’ attitudes towards purchase intentions for solar-powered clothing: TAM variables (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use), perceived performance risk, Functional, Expressive, Aesthetic (FEA) elements of clothing (perceived comfort, perceived compatibility, and perceived aesthetic attributes), and environmental concerns. Further, this study examined the differences between Gen Y and Baby Boomer on their perceptions and attitudes towards purchasing solar-powered clothing; these two groups were selected, because both groups have been of significant interest to social psychologists as well as marketers in the past (Morris & Venkatesha, 2000). A convenience sample of college students and faculty at one of the United States midwestern universities was recruited for the web-based survey with both open and closed-ended questions. The sample for this study consisted of 18-33 year olds and of 50-65 year olds, both male and female, who were in the bracket of targeted ages for Gen Y and Baby Boomer generations. A total of 720 useable responses was selected from the returned questionnaires based on the completion of the questionnaire for data analysis. Multiple linear regression, simple

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