A Framework for Understanding how Older Adults Build Confidence in Technology Use

A Framework for Understanding how Older Adults Build Confidence in Technology Use | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Framework for Understanding how Older Adults Build Confidence in Technology Use Lan An, Diego Muñoz, Sonja Pedell, Leon Sterling This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8537606/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Older adults are constantly challenged to keep up with the accelerating pace of technology development. Research indicates that confidence significantly influences the technology use and choices of older adults. However, there is a lack of understanding of how confidence in technology use among older adults can grow over time and what kind of support is needed to achieve this. Our research explores observable behaviour as confidence begins to develop. We collected data during weekly technology group activities at a residential care facility over 18 months, involving 15 participants. This article presents the development of the Confidence in Technology Use Framework and its subsequent validation. Using Framework Analysis, we developed the framework, consisting of three indicators that reflect older adults' growing confidence in using technology: (1) embracing proactive use of technology, (2) developing strategies to solve technology issues, and (3) striving for autonomy in technology use. The framework includes activities and feelings to explain and exemplify each indicator of confidence development. We validate the framework by aligning it with the supporting conditions of Social Learning Theory for the learning process. Our contribution is twofold. Firstly, the framework can guide practitioners in developing technology support for older adults living in residential care facilities. Secondly, the framework can help researchers identify and qualitatively evaluate confidence in technology use. Older adults Technology use Indicators of Confidence Framework Analysis Residential aged care Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8537606","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":573774551,"identity":"87459cca-2903-4646-a83b-74624950e4ff","order_by":0,"name":"Lan An","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAtElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACPgYGxgcMDBIgtgFxWtgYGJgNSNbCJgFlE6uF/eyxyp9tFnkM7M3bJBhqDhOhhScv7TZvm0QxA8+xMgmGY8RoYcgxu824TSKxQSLHTIKBjRgt/G/MCn+CtMi/AWr5R4wWoOEMvGBbeMwkGNuI0vLGWJr3n0RiG09asUViXzphLfz8OYYff5ypS+xnP7zxxodv1oS1IKwDEQkkaBgFo2AUjIJRgAcAAMLMLqebIYpPAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Swinburne University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lan","middleName":"","lastName":"An","suffix":""},{"id":573774552,"identity":"b5200fd3-a880-4e9e-9bd0-b502dd48da58","order_by":1,"name":"Diego Muñoz","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Swinburne University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Diego","middleName":"","lastName":"Muñoz","suffix":""},{"id":573774553,"identity":"14339f08-f5df-48dc-9a9d-63375ae366e9","order_by":2,"name":"Sonja Pedell","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Swinburne University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sonja","middleName":"","lastName":"Pedell","suffix":""},{"id":573774554,"identity":"dad26e7e-853b-4826-9481-c75eb6c56d51","order_by":3,"name":"Leon Sterling","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Swinburne University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Leon","middleName":"","lastName":"Sterling","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-07 06:38:55","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8537606/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8537606/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102298582,"identity":"28ac582c-a521-4933-8907-35561b5958a3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:49:34","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":12956388,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Confidenceframework.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8537606/v1_covered_53f235b6-20bb-4c3f-aa18-b7ceace79813.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"A Framework for Understanding how Older Adults Build Confidence in Technology Use","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Older adults, Technology use, Indicators of Confidence, Framework Analysis, Residential aged care","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8537606/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8537606/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\nOlder adults are constantly challenged to keep up with the accelerating pace of technology development. 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