Older Women’s Motivation to Use Technology: A Psychological Capability Perspective

ABSTRACT

A rapidly aging population, combined with technological advancement, is creating strong latent motivators for older women to learn and use technology. While many past studies have provided insights into older women’s perceptions and impacts of their technology adoption, the psychological capabilities underpinning their motivation to learn are often overlooked. This study draws on interview data from 16 older women in a less developed country to explore the psychological capabilities of older women that drive them to learn and use technology. Our analysis reveals five themes (i.e. sense of purpose, self-efficacy, continuous learning, self-care, and social support seeking) that reflect the psychological capabilities of older women in relation to their technology learning and adoption. As our findings provide new evidence of the importance of fusing the elements of psychological capabilities with content delivery in education and training for older women in less developed countries, this study has practical and theoretical implications for gerontechnology.

KEYWORDS:

• aging
• older women
• psychological capability
• qualitative research
• technology

Introduction

The world’s population is aging rapidly. A report by the United Nations projected that the global population would comprise 2 billion older people by 2050 (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs UNDESA, 2019). With this population aging issue also come the challenges to promoting healthy aging. Healthy aging refers to the process of creating and keeping the functional ability that empowers wellbeing in old age (World Health Organization WHO, 2017). Most of us have had grandparents or older family members whose declining cognition and behavior have raised the issue of older adult’s ability to live independently (Moye et al., 2013). Technology can be a solution to create support for independent living (Ardelean & Redolat, 2023). Older adults need technological products and services that assist them in leading independent and fulfilling lives. For example, the role of technologies such as smartphone apps, wearables, robotics Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly salient to support health by providing health information, facilitating interactions with health applications and developing health behavior change (Gariboldi et al., 2023). Social media is another technology that ignites older adults’ social interaction (Oyinlola, 2022).

We are living in an age where technology innovation is accelerating. Increasingly, the technology used to accomplish everyday tasks has become more complex. For example, smartphones such as Android-based phone and iOS-enabled phone are more challenging to use after upgrades or after they are downloaded with new apps. To use a smartphone competently, young, and older users have to process ever-increasing amounts of information to navigate the app and use various features. These greater information processing demands are taxing for older adults, especially older females living in less developed countries. This is because this group of older women is bounded by sociocultural restrictions and has limited access to education that can support their personal development (Venkatesh et al., 2017).

Because older women outnumber older men in their later years (Czaja et al., 2019), learning and using technology is essential for older women. As shown in Table 1, extant research has yielded significant insights into older females’ technology adoption (see Lockey et al., 2010; Robertson et al., 2022; Saquib et al., 2016; Xue et al., 2012). In a mobile phone-based intervention study (i.e., Infohealth), Xue et al. (2012) posited that technological anxiety, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and compatibility had a direct relationship with intention to use Infohealth among older females in Singapore. In a related vein, Saquib et al. (2016) found that perceived usefulness of interactive voice response (IVR) systems and IVR coaching such as physical activity self-tracking, regular reinforcement of physical activity participation and progressive goal setting, motivated older women to use telephone-based IVR systems to increase their physical activity. In a recent study of older women in the United States, Robertson et al. (2022) found that playful experiences, value, and acceptability associated with the technology intervention (i.e., a photography-based, social media walking game) increased older women’s motivation for physical activity. These examples highlight that more efforts should be directed toward using a celebratory technology approach for this age group (Robertson et al., 2022). Celebratory technology approach refers to the use of technology to express and celebrate the valued aspects of individuals’ beliefs and behaviors (Grimes and Harper, 2008). Lockey et al. (2010) conducted an audiological research project in which they postulated that meaningful participation in life situations was the driving force that contributed to the transition of older women with hearing loss to learn and use hearing aid devices.

Table 1. Past Studies on Technology Use Motivation Among Older People.

Study	Journal	Focus	Context	Method	Outcomes	Technology used
Lockey et al. (2010)	IJA	To explore how older women with hearing loss perceive using and not using hearing aids	Older adults with a depth (had hearing aids for >5 years and believed they were consistent users) and range (different degrees of initial resistance) of use	In-depth narrative interviews	Meaningful participation in life situations contributed to the transition of older women with hearing loss to learn and use hearing aid devices.	Hearing aid
Xue et al. (2012)	IJMI	To examine the perceived attitudes and readiness of women aged 50 years or older on adopting a mobile phone-based intervention named as Infohealth	700 eligible women aged 50 years and older from Singapore	Telephone survey	Technological anxiety, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and compatibility had a direct relationship with intention to use Infohealth.	Mobile phone-based intervention
Saquib et al. (2016)	JWA	To assess the feasibility of using an interactive voice response system to deliver the physical activity intervention	Women (>65) who participated in the WHI Extension Study (2010–2015), being able to walk unaided, have a primary care physician, and have regular access to a telephone	Intervention research	Perceived usefulness of interactive voice response (IVR) systems and IVR coaching motivated older women to use telephone-based IVR systems to increase their physical activity.	Telephone-based interactive voice response
Cajamarca and Herskovic (2022)	IJHCS	To understand how older adults in Chile use technological tools for health self-management	Active and independent older adults from an urban area in Santiago, Chile	Semi-structured interviews	Older adults are ambivalent about technology for health self-management.	Mobile technology
Oyinlola (2022)	AAA	To examine the use of social media among older adults	Members of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Ibadan branch	Semi-structured interviews	Social media use is essential to sustain social connectedness among older adults.	Social media
Robertson et al. (2022)	JMIRSG	To investigate older women’s reactions and thoughts about a photography-based, social media walking game	Female adults between 65 to 85 years of age who were able to read and understand English, that have access to teleconference capability from home	Semi-structured interviews	Playful experiences, value and acceptability associated with the technology intervention increased older women’s motivation for physical activity.	Social media game
Our study		To explore the psychological capabilities that motivate older women in using technology	Older women from lower income households of Malaysia	In-depth interviews	The psychological capabilities, such as sense of purpose, social support seeking, self-confidence, continuous learning and self-care, are viewed to be essential in motivating older women to use technology.	Mobile technology

*Note: Journal abbreviations are as follows – IJA=International Journal of Audiology; IJMI=International Journal of Medical Informatics; IJHCS=International Journal of Human-Computer Studies; AAA=Activities, Adaptation & Aging; JMIRSG=JMIR Serious Games; JWA=Journal of Women & Aging.

Many studies (see Cajamarca & Herskovic, 2022; Heine & Feldman, 2022) have grossly framed older women as vulnerable, technophobic, passive and refusing to use technology because of a lack of motivation. Such biases lead to discriminatory outcomes surrounding education and training to learn and use technology. Additionally, the recommendations from extant studies (e.g., Robertson et al., 2022; Saquib et al., 2016; Xue et al., 2012) are predominantly from developed countries, which may not be directly relevant for women in developing countries, especially those women in the Bottom 40% (B40) household category. In less developed countries such as Malaysia, people are categorized into three different income groups, namely, Top 20% (T20), Middle 40% (M40) and Bottom 40% category¹ (B40 households refer to households with monthly income below RM4,850 (equivalent to USD1,102, exchange rate calculated as of 23/04/2023: RM1: USD0.23)) (Department of Statistics Malaysia DOSM, 2020). Older women in this B40 category are often subject to a variety of cultural and institutional mechanisms that produce inequality. At an individual level, stereotypical assumptions and biased perceptions can challenge their value as paid workers who need to learn technology to enable them at work. In other words, older women in the B40 group are generally expected to perform their normative duties as homemakers and caregivers. In the fast-paced marketplace, organizations focus on developing technological products and services that are appealing to young users in relation to branding and indirectly marginalize older technology users, particularly, older women who have physiological and anthropometrical differences compared to older men.

While the studies above highlight that older women have become increasingly comfortable using technology, relatively limited attention has been paid to the role of psychological capabilities that motivate older women in the B40 category to use technology (Yap et al., 2022). Psychological capabilities include personal traits and degree of self-esteem (Sartorio et al., 1995). Understanding psychological capabilities provides essential insight into the different elements of psychological capabilities that positively affect older women’s technology adoption while purporting to value these elements as enablers, which in turn, opens ways for older women to incorporate technology into their daily lives.

To address the research gaps, this study’s research question is “what are the psychological capabilities of older women that motivate them to use technology.” This study focuses on exploring the psychological capabilities of older women that motivate them to learn and use technology to provide useful insights to industry and government for more effective business strategies and policies respectively to increase technology usage among older women.

Literature review

Psychological capability and older women

Psychological capability in this study refers to a set of psychological skills that motivate people for an improvement or achievement in their life. The past studies relating to psychological capabilities reveal that having a higher level of psychological capabilities will motivate individuals to perform better and hence achieve higher performance and self-confidence in work and in their life (e.g., Alessandri et al., 2018; Ewe & Ho, 2022a). Among the theories used in analyzing psychological capabilities, the concept of psychological capital (Luthans et al., 2007), the self-determination theory (Brown et al., 2017), the attribution theory (Kelley & Michela, 1980), the broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 2001), and the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007) are more commonly used. This study will use psychological capital (PsyCap) as the underpinning theory to understand the psychological capabilities of older women in using technology.

PsyCap refers to an individual’s positive psychological state of development (Luthans et al., 2007). The concept was originally developed in an organizational context with its main components of Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, and Optimism (H.E.R.O). Hope is goal-directed behavior that enables one to achieve pre-set goals; self-efficacy is self-confidence in overcoming challenges; resilience enables one to bounce back quickly from difficulties; and optimism relates to positive expectations of future outcomes that drive individuals to increase their effort in achieving desired outcomes (Ewe & Ho, 2022b). Increasing PsyCap will enable individuals to achieve goals, find ways to overcome obstacles, be more confident in oneself, and have the ability to bounce back quickly during difficult periods (Friend et al., 2016). Although this theory is quite established, there is still limited research relating to PsyCap and older women, and how this group of people increase their PsyCap so that they can learn technology in an easier and more confident manner.

In the existing literature, psychological wellbeing of older women is commonly affected by psychological frailty together with physical frailty (Furtado et al., 2020). For instance, older women are found to have more depressive feelings than men, especially those who have lower income and stay in rural areas (Mangipudi et al., 2020). Increasing psychological frailty may reduce psychological capabilities of older women (Nishida et al., 2020) and therefore reduce their capabilities in learning and using technology. Hence, it is important to find out the psychological capabilities that can motivate older women to move forward so that intervention strategies can be undertaken to reduce psychological frailty and increase psychological capabilities. As the context of this study is technology learning, further research is needed to find out what are the psychological capabilities of older women that may help them learn and adopt technology.

Psychological capabilities, older women and technology learning

Due to improved life expectancy of older people and more advanced technology during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, learning technology is a must for older women in order to deal with their daily activities with higher connection to technology (Yap et al., 2022). Several prevailing determinants influence older women’s technology adoption, such as perceived usefulness (Chen et al., 2021), perceived ease of use (Zhou et al., 2019), technology anxiety (Talukder et al., 2020), social influence (Macedo, 2017), older women’s physical condition (Wang & Sun, 2016), facilitating condition (Chen & Chan, 2014) and habit (Yein & Pal, 2021). In technology learning, family support and internet self-efficacy are factors that motivate older women to learn technology on online platforms (Chu, 2010). There are still few studies exploring older women’s ability to learn technology from the perspective of their own psychological capabilities. Therefore, more research is needed in the area. To address the gaps, this study focuses on the exploratory research on what psychological capabilities of older women motivate them to learn and use technology.

Research method

This study used in-depth interviews to address the research question. In-depth interviews are widely used in qualitative studies (e.g., Fish & Trejo Tello, 2023; Mauchley et al., 2023; Thompson et al., 2023) and is effective for soliciting older adults’ viewpoints. A detailed step-by step-by-step data collection and data analysis processes for this research is presented in Figure 1. The study had obtained the ethics approval [Project ID: 29459]. Using a purposive sampling approach, 16 older women from the Bottom 40% (B40) group in Malaysia (mean age 62.3, SD 7.1) were invited to participate in the interviews (Table 2). The criteria of B40 were Malaysian older adults from income classification of the bottom 40% of the population by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (Department of Statistics Malaysia DOSM, 2020) with household monthly income below RM4,849 (equivalent to USD1,128, exchange rate calculated on 23/04/2023; RM1:USD0.23). The participants comprised Malay, Chinese and Bumiputera (i.e., indigenous groups in East Malaysia). The participants provided consent to participate in this study by signing the consent form before the interviews. A total of 16 phone call interviews were conducted by research assistants with open-ended interview guide questions to facilitate the discussion with follow-up questions and summaries to verify interpretations. The interview questions include “How would you describe the process of learning to use a mobile phone?,” “Have you sought help or support from others when learning to use a mobile phone? How do you feel when doing so?,” and “In what way, do you think this application helps you to spend your time well in exploring, growing, and forming new meaning in life?.”

Figure 1 Data collection and data analysis process.

A diagram to illustrate the step-by-step data collection and data analysis processes for this research.

Read the detailed description of this figure

A diagram that presents the steps involved in data collection and analysis. It begins with the preparation before data collection, which is to develop the interview guide based on research question, list down the criteria for participant selection, approach the participants, and obtain their consent to conduct interviews. Following is the data collection, which consisted of phone interviews that were conducted, and audio recorded. The audio recordings were transcribed and translated in preparation for data analysis. For data analysis, the authors familiarize themselves with the data before the initial coding. After initial coding, the authors aggregated the initial codes to identify the themes to answer the research question. Finally, the authors reviewed and discussed the identified themes.

Table 2. Participants’ Profile.

ID	Age	Ethnicity	Resides in	Marital status	No. of children	Current employment status	Education level
1	70	Malay	Tanjung Malim, Perak	Married	4	Volunteer	Vocational/technical certification
2	70	Malay	Parit, Perak	Married	3	Homemaker	Primary
3	65	Chinese	Segamat, Johor	Married	5	Homemaker	Primary
4	63	Malay	Kluang, Johor	Widowed	6	Homemaker	Primary
5	58	Chinese	Segamat, Johor	Married	4	Volunteer	Secondary
6	73	Chinese	Kluang, Johor	Married	4	Self-employed	Secondary
7	66	Chinese	Segamat, Johor	Married	3	Self-employed	Secondary
8	65	Chinese	Segamat, Johor	Married	2	Self-employed	Primary
9	52	Chinese	Segamat, Johor	Married	5	Homemaker	Secondary
10	65	Chinese	Segamat, Johor	Married	3	Homemaker	Primary
11	73	Chinese	Segamat, Johor	Married	3	Homemaker	Secondary
12	54	Bumiputera	Bintulu, Sarawak	Married	4	Legal Clerk	Secondary
13	57	Chinese	Bintulu, Sarawak	Married	5	Legal Clerk	Secondary
14	57	Bumiputera	Miri, Sarawak	Married	5	Self-employed	Secondary
15	54	Bumiputera	Bintulu, Sarawak	Married	4	Homemaker	Secondary
16	55	Bumiputera	Lawas, Sarawak	Single	-	Counsellor	Tertiary

Interviews took place between February 2022 and April 2022. All interviews were conducted with participants aged between 52 and 73, using their preferred language (i.e., Mandarin, English and Malay). All 16 interviews were audio-recorded with permission and transcribed verbatim. Eight interviews were conducted in Mandarin, six in English and two in Malay. The research assistants translated all transcripts into English. To ensure greater accuracy in translation, one of the author researchers, a native Mandarin speaker and professional Malay speaker with high competency in English, checked both sets of transcripts to ensure that the meanings were equivalent. The findings are based on approximately 762 minutes of interviews (mean time per interview 44.8 (SD 7.18) minutes) that resulted in 334 pages of transcripts.

The transcripts were then analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, fundamentally used to “identify, analyze and report patterns within a data” (Braun & Clarke, 2006, p. 79). In particular, the six-step thematic analysis procedures recommended in Braun and Clarke (2006) guided the analysis process. The six steps consist of (1) familiarizing with the data; (2) generating initial codes; (3) searching for themes; (4) reviewing the themes; (5) defining and naming the themes; and (6) producing the analysis report. Following initial coding by the first and third author, where labels were attached to text segments that indicated important material concerning the research questions, the analysis progressed iteratively to develop a set of themes that captured the essence of the interviews.

Findings

Data analysis uncovered five themes relating to the psychological capabilities of older women that motivated them in using technology: (1) sense of purpose, (2) self-efficacy, (3) continuous learning, (4) self-care; and (5) social support seeking. Themes are discussed below with support from illustrative interview quotes. Figure 2 illustrates the conceptual model, and Table 3 summarizes the key findings and takeaway messages of this study.

Figure 2 The conceptual framework built from the data.

A conceptual framework to demonstrate older women’s motivation to use technology.

Read the detailed description of this figure

A conceptual framework to demonstrate older women’s motivation to use technology, which includes psychological capabilities, such as sense of purpose, self-confidence, continuous learning, self-care, and social support seeking.

Table 3. Summary of Key Findings and Takeaways.

Themes	Subthemes	Key Findings and Takeaways
Sense of purpose	Sustaining the family relationships	Older adults use technology to overcome geographical barriers, keep in touch with family, and maintain social connections. Individuals who are hopeful are able to learn to use technology to communicate with family and friends, even when they need to overcome the obstacles of using a smartphone.
	Managing online self-expression	To fulfil social needs and develop their identities online on social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram. Older adults with high self-efficacy possess a strong locus of control over social media usage, such as information sharing and socializing.
	Improving skills	Older adults embrace technology for professional development and to complete their daily activities. Optimistic older adults are more likely to have a positive technology adoption experience, as they tend to follow healthy behaviors that help them adapt to stressful situations.
Self-confidence		Self-efficacy significantly impacts behavioral intentions. Older adults with higher levels of self-efficacy are able to educate themselves about using technology and rely on their initiative to find solutions. Older adults with weaker self-efficacy lacked tenacity and persistence in solving issues by demonstrating their unwillingness to commit to successfully owning and using the phone. Resilience can help older adults adapt positively to stressful situations and develop coping strategies.
Continuous Learning	Consciousness of learning	The upbringing environment of older adults affected their attitude towards learning technology or technology adoption. The changes in the working environment with the increasing need to adapt to new technology have triggered older adults’ need to learn. Psychologically resilient older adults can adapt when faced with adversity and not only survive but thrive, as they perceive the challenges of using use technology as opportunities for growth.
	Openness to change and to learn	Older adults who do not have prior technology experiences more often feel threatened or anxious by change or uncertainty. Pessimistic older adults are reluctant to change their beliefs about themselves in learning. Optimistic adults tend to be more proactive when facing challenges, seeking solutions to the problem as they are more willing to change and learn.
Self-care		Older adults engage in self-care online activities to boost their wellness, such as intellectual, emotional, and social wellness. Hopeful older adults have a higher level of motivation in pursuing their goals, and they use hope as fuel to provide them strength, especially when it comes to self-care. Further, older adults with high hopes perceive the use of technology as manageable and meaningful, and therefore, they utilize digital content to preserve and enhance their well-being.
Social support seeking		Older adults seek socio-emotional coping and informational support while using the internet, which helps create a less stressful and more conducive environment for learning technology. Older adults favor family members over non-family members in seeking support. Older adults who seem to be optimists are more likely to be integrated into social networks and to receive favorable responses from their social environment.

Theme 1: sense of purpose

As part of the sense of purpose theme, sustaining the family relationships, managing online self-presentation, and improving skills were identified as subthemes. Participants spoke of their sense of directedness and feeling there were aims and objectives for using technology in their daily lives.

Sustaining the family relationships

Participants used technology to ward off social isolation as they aged, mainly using online communication to maintain social connections, especially with family and friends. Participants used smartphones to maintain social connectedness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite there being frustrations with technology, the participants often overcame them. The following excerpt demonstrates the participant’s views on the value of using smartphones – overcoming geographical barriers and keeping in touch with family and friends. Through communicating using a smartphone, the participants felt closer to their loved ones and maintain family relationships.

Because it’s helpful and it’s convenient, I mean when you have a phone, you can contact- even far away, you know, different places. Using the phone is very convenient and you can use like, videos also. Even though it’s far, you can see the person, you know. Like, you know you have WhatsApp, video, video call, all these things (T15).

Another participant echoed these sentiments. T3 described how she used the smartphone to communicate with children and grandchildren and the frequency of contact with family. T3 relied on the smartphone to strengthen family ties during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly when the government imposed an interstate travel ban to curb the spread of the virus. These findings suggest the importance of parent-child relationships for parents and adult children. Frequent contact with children provides more opportunities for companionship and interactions, reducing social isolation among older parents. Further, the emotional closeness also provides a sense of warmth, belonging, and security for more aging parents, which promotes better psychological well-being (Reczek & Zhang, 2016; Tosi & Grundy, 2019).

I contact them [my children] every day. I also have many grandchildren. They [The children] would contact me in turns, one of them will call at a determined time, followed by another. Or else they will call me whenever (T3).

Using my phone to communicate, to see my grandchildren through calls. Even when the government banned interstate travel, we communicated through the phone until the borders opened up, then things went back to usual. Every night we would see our grandchildren and let them see their grandparents (T3).

This subtheme suggests participants stayed centered and focused on attaining goals. From this, it can be inferred that the psychological capability of hope motivates individuals to use technology. Individuals who are hopeful, are able to plan a route (i.e., learn to use technology) to achieve a goal (i.e., communicate with family and friends), and maintain the motivation to achieve it, even when the plan needs to be adapted (i.e., overcome obstacles in using a smartphone) (Luthans et al., 2006).

Managing online self-expression

Older adults continue developing their identities and even take on new ones throughout older adulthood. The findings reveal that participants are motivated to use technology to fulfil their social needs, for instance, creating an online identity on social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram. They engaged in activities like posting photos on their page, responding to news feeds (e.g., “like” the post), and reading posts generated by others. To illustrate, T11 narrated how her offline and online identities are intertwined. She constructed her profile to reflect her “best self” – an active and contributing trade union member. She posted photos of her offline activities to her online page, highlighting her desire to be seen online and to foster a positive impression. Further, her narratives also demonstrated that others’ opinions were important and that she was seeking validation, as she checked how many “Likes” and “Comments” she received.

Yes, I would post like when I attended the trade union, we would have a banquet where everyone will bring something they cooked from home, so I would take pictures and post them on Facebook. And I would write a caption that the event is The Chinese Guild’s party on what month and what date. There are others who see it, and they would give me likes and comments (T11).

The research findings also suggest that technology allows older adults to manage their online interactions more strategically, mainly information about themselves when they have privacy concerns (Wottrich et al., 2018). Although the participants did not create private accounts for themselves, they passively consumed the information and content available online. This online activity shows that they have control over online self-disclosure by managing how they present themselves. For example, T16 described that she used social media to follow news that she is interested in. However, she did not post or engage in personal or private activities such as sharing personal pictures or feelings, suggesting her social media usage helped her represent what kind of person she is.

Uh, I have a Facebook account but then I don’t really use it. Ya I use Instagram, I just for me to you know, to—to know some news cause my interest politics and uh religion, ya. I don’t really go for personal, you know, personal things, ya (T16).

The act of managing online self-expression suggests that self-efficacy is essential to an individual’s behavior in the social media context (Hocevar et al., 2014; Huang, 2016). Older adults with high self-efficacy possess a strong locus of control on social media usage, such as information sharing and socializing. They have confidence in controlling the exchange of information, views, and experiences on social media.

Improving skills

As the workforce becomes more competitive, older adults are embracing technology not only for their personal needs but also for their professional development. Although older adults are commonly known to lag in technology adoption, participants who are currently active in the workforce or involved in volunteering tasks shared that technology is required for them to complete their daily activities. Seery (2011) suggests that resilience in the face of adversity is necessary for navigating life events. In this study, the shifts in the work environment appeared to contribute to the building of resilience in participants to navigate the challenges to adapt and respond to continuous change. For example, T1 is a volunteer in her local community, and she described her capabilities in using technology while volunteering to seek external cooperation. The use of technology was well accepted when she connected with external parties. However, technology was not perceived to be helpful regarding internal coordination because of the relatively low adoption rate among the internal members.

My work online is okay, because I can serve them through email or something, but not with local people … … I find it’s very difficult to work through the internet because the others are illiterate to the Internet. For example, the surau, we have 20 board members, board governors, and the secretary. Out of these 20, only few are having email, you just imagine. And these people, formally they were ex-lecturers. They have email, while the others they are blind, IT-blind. Computer-illiterate (T1).

Further, the research findings also found that optimistic older adults are more likely to have a positive technology adoption experience, as they tend to follow healthy behavior that helps them adapt to stressful situations. The optimism of individuals allows them to feel more control and influence in the workplace. For instance, T12 explained that the reliance on digital technology for her job is extremely high, and it would be challenging for her if she did not engage progressively with technology to complete her assignment. Therefore, she responded to the work environmental change by gaining the skills to be a proficient technology user.

If I didn’t want to learn it, then that is very difficult for me lah. If didn’t learn. It’s very, very difficult because- because nowadays everything goes- using emails, or through internet. But if there’s no internet, if I don’t want to learn (the) internet or fax, then it will be very difficult for me to do my job (T12).

Theme 2: self-confidence

The theme of self-confidence delves into the level of older people’s confidence in embracing technology. The interview data demonstrates that self-efficacy significantly impacts behavioral intentions, which is consistent with prior research (Avery & Park, 2016; Frisby et al., 2013). According to Bandura (1990), self-efficacy has been defined as individuals’ sense of confidence to perform in a variety of contexts that affect their lives. The level of self-efficacy beliefs determines how individuals feel, think, motivate themselves and behave. Older adults with higher levels of self-efficacy are better able to educate themselves about using technology and rely on their initiative to find solutions. T1, for instance, was driven to use technology to develop or improve the services she provided. She actively sought information and acted swiftly on that knowledge because she volunteered in her community. She was able to adapt to the surroundings while running activities and programs for the community since she had a high level of self-efficacy. Her narrative below also showed that she was confident in her ability to complete the tasks.

Yeah. but then I have to work, and I don’t think other people can do what I’m doing. I have to Google everything, contact here and there. Get the contact numbers and contact people and then how to convince them, right? (T1)

The positive experience with technology also enables older adults to learn, practice, and build confidence to use technology effectively. Despite being surrounded by people of her age who were reluctant to learn about technology, T5 was inspired to do so because she engaged in church events involving younger individuals. She is aware that, compared to the peers of her age, she was more proactive because she enrolled in online classes to improve herself.

Many of my close friends around me are in their 60s. Actually, they can’t, but because I attend a lot of online courses, so I use these two kinds, Zoom and Google Meet. I join groups of young people, so I have to learn how to use (T5).

On the contrary, older adults with weaker self-efficacy often lacked tenacity and persistence in solving issues. They demonstrated they were unwilling to commit to successfully owning and using the phone. T2 was given a phone number, but she had no idea how to add it to her contact list, and she was terrified to use any of the apps. T12 also mentioned that she stopped using the phone because she was afraid of being a victim of fraud.

Sometimes when my friends give me their phone number, I do not really understand how to make it work (T2).

I think it’s just any app, I would never try opening them because I’m afraid that I’ll click wrongly (T2).

I think it’s [the confidence level] something like fifty- fifty like that lah. I’m not confident sometimes. I’m scared- you know why I’m scared? It’s because nowadays a lot of scammers. That’s why I have to (be) very careful that I may not simply open links. If the links is not familiar to me, I won’t open it (T12).

Besides self-efficacy, this theme also elucidates that resilience can help older adults adapt positively to stressful situations and develop coping strategies. Older adults such as T1 and T5 with high confidence and health resilience were more likely to experience technology adoption as a challenge rather than a threat, thus were able to cope with the stress of technology adoption. Further, it is worth noting that resilience in older adults is built over time and through reflection on their experiences with the technology (Broussard & Myers, 2010).

Theme 3: continuous learning

The theme of continuous learning encompasses two subthemes, categorized as consciousness of learning and openness to change and to learn. Given the ever-changing nature of the digital environment, it is challenging for participants to keep up with the new changes. Participants recounted how their past experiences shaped them in technology adoption and demonstrated continuous learning behaviors.

Consciousness of learning

Findings suggest the upbringing environment of participants affected their attitude toward learning technology or technology adoption. T1 attributed her positive learning attitude to her parents’ influences. She explored the various applications and use of technology by herself and was willing to take up challenges. She was mindful that she had positive qualities in learning.

I am very interested to learn, you see? I have a very strong interest to know things. I don’t stay in my safe zone, no. I like to know things. Maybe this depends on the way I was brought up. My parents, they urge that you must be positive all throughout … I learned a lot on my own. I don’t go to classes. I don’t have to go to classes. Almost every day I learn new things, just explore and I will get it (T1).

Further, the changes in the working environment with the increasing need to adapt to new technology have triggered participants’ need to learn. For example, T5 shared that she did not grow up with technology and was a “late adopter.” Despite having no computer experience, she found that she needed to learn how to use it to be able to do an effective and efficient job. Along the same vein, she was a volunteer in the church and knew that she needed to use specific software programs to facilitate the activities. The excerpts below illustrate her awareness of the need to learn, which resulted in positive outcomes.

Well, no, in fact, my time is the era without computers. When my account used software at that time, I felt that I was very old when I read, more than 40 years old. But I still insisted, I think it needs to be improved (T5).

I needed to use PowerPoint because of my church service. So, I have learned myself, and ask the youths. If I had no need to learn it, I wouldn’t have learned, that’s it (T5).

The above examples demonstrate that psychologically resilient older adults can adapt when faced with adversity and not only survive but thrive. Although they did not have the opportunity to learn how to use technology formally, they did not feel indifferent. They viewed those difficulties as challenges, and they perceived these challenges as opportunities for growth. While resilience is needed to motivate one to adapt to technology, the self-awareness and reflective ability in T1 and T5 also enhanced their resilience in using technology as they learn and by repeating experiences of coping with learning technology.

Openness to change and to learn

Older adults who do not have prior technology experiences more often felt threatened or anxious by change or uncertainty. Participants shared that they were not likely to give up stable or status quo old habits. It also showed that they were less willing or able to adjust to new circumstances and are uncomfortable with change or fear losing control. For instance, T9 spoke about her friend who showed her the steps to using the online shopping application. However, she was not interested in building up her knowledge using it. Additionally, she also shared that she was unwilling to take risks, as she has privacy concerns and was afraid of failing or making mistakes, suggesting T9 lacked openness to change and to learn.

Uh, I don’t know how, my friend taught me [to do online shopping] but I don’t know how to. I’m not so interested. Because we need to press the app, we are afraid that we press something wrong, worried we will get hacked. The elderly is afraid of these things (T9).

Similarly, T10 shared the same sentiment that she resisted learning and change. T10 acknowledged the benefits of learning new things; however, she had yet to put in the effort to learn. T10 relied on her family members to fulfil her various needs because she considered herself a “simple person” and did not have the urge to advance her know-how in technology or use the internet.

Because if you just don’t have to use it, you don’t use it so you don’t learn it. I’m a simple person. If I want to go abroad, they will take me, and whatever I want to buy, they will buy it for me. Yeah, it’s good to be learning new things, but I haven’t gone out of my way to learn it (T10).

In contrast to the above examples of lack of openness in learning, T12 shared that she was open to learning because she was interested in new ideas and ways of doing things. The findings suggest she valued learning and knowledge for herself, as she enjoyed researching topics and issues to solve problems independently and benefitted from the learning process.

Let’s say PDF, when I see a problem with PDF, so I would Google- I would search for it. How- when I have trouble with troubleshooting, Microsoft, anything- this one lah, considering about computers, or anything about programs, I would Google. And I will- for example, if I don’t know how to use like, MySejahtera, how to update this one, I would Google it. I learn it from there (T12).

This subtheme explicates that optimism in older adults influences their adaptability in using technology. The research findings suggest pessimistic older adults are reluctant to change their beliefs about themselves in learning. For example, T9 and T10 showed that they tend to focus on selective information that supports their convictions about the likelihood of failure, and lack of ability in positive reframing, i.e., making mistakes and getting hacked. On the contrary, optimistic older adults were more resilient and likely to stay positive on the subject matter even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The empirical findings demonstrate optimistic adults tend to be more proactive when facing challenges by seeking solutions to the problem as they are more willing to change and to learn. In other words, optimism in older adults helps to mitigate the psychological distress of technology use, and help them to feel competent in adoption (Yagil et al., 2016).

Theme 4: self-care

Based on the research findings, the concept of self-care was used as an expression of online activities done to benefit the self. Engaging in self-care fosters wellness in older adults and offers opportunities for them to relieve the stressors of their daily lives. The self-care online activities performed by the participants boosted three dimensions of wellness (intellectual, emotional, and social). By engaging in online activities, participants demonstrated their continuous adaptability to the circumstances of their lives and connectedness to the online environment. Conventionally, self-care of older adults in past literature often focused on the area of older adults with chronic conditions or illnesses (e.g., Haug et al., 1989; LeBlanc & Jacelon, 2018); however the findings of this study shed light on how healthy older adults promote self-care behind the screen.

Participants engaged in various self-care practices through online activities, such as improving intellectual wellness by watching or reading inspiring stories online. T1 took an interest in reading and watching inspiring content online, and this self-care practice helped her to free herself from keeping up with daily responsibilities. Her narrative suggested the content she pursued was intellectually stimulating, and offered current, relevant and meaningful information. Therefore, she often looked for those content that may foster intellectual wellness.

I use YouTube a lot before I go to sleep, that is to enjoy my life. I like to get some stories, like Netflix and all, and then some inspirational stories. I like that, I enjoy that. Free myself just before sleeping. I myself enjoy internet very widely. I use very well but not others. I don’t think the others do, as I do (T1).

Leisure activities such as watching drama series online can enhance emotional wellness. T5 shared that she would enjoy watching drama shows at night, and this behavior implied that the participant had the autonomy and freedom to choose what, when, and how to watch. An individual’s emotional well-being is tied to experiences of positive feelings as well as enthusiasm toward life (Myers et al., 2000). Watching programs worth her time at her own pace of life brings enjoyment that results in a positive emotional state, subsequently enhancing her emotional wellness.

Then I take a nap, and like I said sometimes the church has activities, I will go to the activities, and at night I will watch drama shows on the Internet, this sort of living. I enjoy this kind of life (T5).

There is a need for older adults to socialize and maintain meaningful relationships. This research shows that older adults utilized technology to navigate their social networks to promote social wellness. In concordance with past research, the research findings suggest that the size of older adults’ social networks becomes narrower as they choose to invest in fewer but more emotionally meaningful relationships (Scheibe & Carstensen, 2010). T5 enjoyed meeting her close friends in the morning for exercise and breakfast daily; such morning rituals offered stability in her life and promoted life satisfaction. Her narrative below demonstrates that she used the internet to connect with her friends, which complements her offline activities.

I get up in the morning and go to exercise. After that I go to have tea with the aunties, and when I come back from tea, I do the housework. After my chores are done, I go online and look at my WhatsApp, email (T5).

The analysis shows that hope is one of the main psychological factors influencing older adults to use technology during self-care and contributing to their psychological well-being (Sun et al., 2020). The research findings indicate hopeful older adults have a high level of motivation in pursuing their goals, and they use hope as fuel to provide them strength, especially when it comes to self-care. Participants with high hope perceive the use of technology as manageable and meaningful (Gallagher et al., 2020), and therefore, they utilize digital content to preserve and enhance their well-being. Additionally, older adults with high hope also have a positive thinking style as they look forward to “enjoying” themselves with online activities.

Theme 5: social support seeking

The theme of social support seeking describes the assistance older persons receive as they adjust to using technology as well as their preferred sources of assistance. Social support can be defined as “verbal and nonverbal communication between recipients and providers that reduces uncertainty about the situation, the self, the other, or the relationship, and functions to enhance a perception of personal control in one’s experience” (Albrecht & Adelman, 1987, p. 19). In the context of this research, the research findings elucidate that older adults seek socio-emotional coping and informational support while using the internet, that help in creating a less stressful and more conducive environment to pick up technology (Mikal & Grace, 2012).

Participants recounted their experiences in which they tend to rely on children for assistance when the spouse is unavailable or unable to help them to solve the problem. For example, T1 shared that she would usually get help from her son when she faced problems. This suggests participants favor family members over non-family members in seeking social support, and they align with their cultural values of seeking support from family members especially a spouse or son (You et al., 2020).

Usually, I get help from my son, because they are using also. One of my sons is a computer technician, so when I have problems, usually he can remotely control my computer from KL so I can sit in front of the computer and follow his instructions to do things. They got me this system program they can load something in, they will teach me because my cursor will move because he is moving for me remotely in KL [Kuala Lumpur]. So, my cursor here will move, they ask me to pick any test or something, then I can follow his instruction (T1).

Additionally, the support that T1”s child offered also provided a sense of companionship in times of stress when she faced problems. The social support from children can be converted into other forms of internal resources, such as psychological capital (Lee et al., 2013; Peepratoom et al., 2020) to improve themselves in using technology. The quote above illustrates controlling the computer remotely and allowing T1 to follow the instructions to complete the troubleshooting process are forms of esteem support that promote T1”s abilities in problem-solving and encourage her to use the computer.

Findings further highlight children’s role in social support during technology adoption. Older adults tend to focus more on the quality of their close interpersonal relationships as they age. Taken together, they may be less willing to disrupt their social networks while seeking explicit social support to cope with their problems. This resulted in their adult children often being the essential reference point for seeking a solution to the problem. The participants believe that they could be open with their children about their worries about using technology, and the children would have more patience in guiding them than other people. For instance, T3 shared that although she wanted to do online shopping, she did not have the confidence to complete the payment online. Therefore, she sought help from her children for her purchases. Similarly, T8 did not know how to make payments online, and her son handled the transactions. The patience and support the children gave reassured the older adults to feel that they were loved and cared for, and such support messages prevented or reduced loneliness among the older adults.

No, I often ask my son or daughter to help me buy. I am worried that I might accidentally click and get cheated off my money. We who are not adept and unclear should not simply click into something, or we would be cheated (T3).

I don’t have, my son set it all up for me. I don’t really get it. I don’t know how to pay my phone bills. He helps me pay my phone bills every month. I don’t know how to check the bill (T8).

The children help their parents with informational assistance in addition to socioemotional coping. Participants would discuss their issues and solicit suggestions for solutions from their adult children. For instance, T11 encountered difficulties with her smartphone and received assistance from her daughter to fix the issue. Although she did not actively wait for the issue to be resolved, she did ask what the issue was and how the daughter fixed it, showing that she was interested in learning more about it. The results imply that older persons also have information needs while adopting new technologies, hence informative support is required.

I did face some issues, but I would wait for my daughter to come back, and I asked her why, after that it is all right. Most of the time I would ask my daughter what she did, it’s hard to ask others. If you ask your friends, they don’t have the patience to teach you either (T11).

These study results highlight that older adults with positive emotional expression, such as optimism, engage in adequate coping behaviors, such as problem-focused coping or information-seeking coping (Lin, 2016; Yu & Luo, 2018) with the help of their children. As social support is an interactive construct, expressing positive emotions and moods by older adults facilitated rewarding social interactions and positive responses. Therefore, older adults who seem to be optimists are more likely to be integrated into supportive social networks and to receive favorable responses from their social environment. Older adults’ children are more inclined to provide them with instrumental support to foster their striving toward goal attainment.

Discussion

This study aimed to explore the psychological capabilities of older women that motivate them to learn and use technology. From the findings, five themes were identified describing the psychological capabilities of older women, i.e. sense of purpose, self-efficacy, continuous learning, self-care, and social support seeking. These five themes can be associated with the established PsyCap model. For instance, sense of purpose and self-care can give hope to older women when using the technologies.; Self-confidence can be linked to self-efficacy and resilience. Continuous learning and the ability of social support seeking may help older women to be more resilient and optimistic. This study provides insightful nuances about the emerging psychological capabilities relating to older women and technology, which contributes to the existing knowledge of psychological capital, which mainly focuses on employees and in the organizational context (e.g., Alessandri et al., 2018; Avey et al., 2008; Friend et al., 2016; Lussier & Hartmann, 2017).

The findings demonstrate that stronger psychological capabilities may enhance older women’s intention and ability to use technology. It complements the findings of past studies on how psychological capabilities help employees or salespersons in enhancing their work performance (e.g. Ewe & Ho, 2022a; Friend et al., 2016). In particular, when older women have a strong sense of purpose in completing tasks or achieving goals, and using technology is a must, they will likely be motivated to use technology. Furthermore, when they have more confidence in themselves, they will often be more willing to take the challenges in using technology and not easily give up when facing problems. Older women who believe in continuous learning to enhance their daily life will also be more likely to be resilient in using technology. In addition, they may feel more optimistic and always believe there are alternative ways to solve problems. Older women who care more about their wellbeing will frequently find ways to make their lives happier and more comfortable. Therefore, they will be more willing to use and learn technology if they found technology was helpful in improving their wellbeing. Social support seeking is also an important psychological element that motivates older women to use more technology. When they are able and confident in finding social support, they can get assistance easier when facing challenges in using technology.

Theoretical implications

The key contributions of this study are threefold. First, this study explores the emerging psychological capabilities of older women in using technology; second, this study provides nuances to the existing psychological capital by linking the emerging psychological capabilities relating to older women to this theory. Third, this study provides a conceptual framework for psychological capabilities that are suitable for research on older women and technology. Future research may build on these findings when conducting research in the same areas.

Managerial implications

This study also provides managerial implications for the government and industry. The government bodies that tend to enhance the capability of older women to use technology could provide free classes or workshops for older women to strengthen their psychological functioning and mental wellbeing. Furthermore, government may provide free counseling and help desk services to older women to assist them when facing more negative psychological states or issues relating to using technology. Industry stakeholders such as businesses targeting older women need to be more aware of how psychological capabilities influence technology usage among this group of people. They may apply messages that prime positive psychological state among older women to enhance their perceived psychological capabilities. This strategy may increase the motivation of older women in using technology.

Limitations and future research

This study focussed on older women from low socio-economic background in a less developed country, which may be considered a strength of the study (in that there will be clear benefits for these older women to become more technologically empowered). However this is also linked to a limitation in terms of generalizability of results being limited to similar samples (i.e., older women from low socio-economic background in developing countries). A further limitation is that the education level of participants was mainly up to secondary level only, and there were a moderate proportion of the sample being homemakers. This may restrict the findings to the insights from those with lower education levels and limited occupations. Finally, this study focused on psychological capabilities, however other factors may influence the use of technology by older women. Additional quantitative research could explore these issues further to validate the themes presented in the conceptual framework in this study, and mixed methods research undertaken to evaluate interventions to improve uptake and sustained use of technology for older women from low socio-economic background in developing countries.

Conclusion

Changes in work and home life are rapidly increasing pressures for older women, including those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and in developing countries to improve their capacity and support networks in growing their skills and confidence in using technology. Psychological capabilities have been identified in this research as important in optimizing change in these outcomes. Multiple levels of support, including at an individual, family or local level, and nationally are needed to support systemic changes in technology use by older women.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Monash University Malaysia-ASEAN Research Grant Scheme 2021 – 2023 [Grant Code: ASE000008].

Notes

1. Households in Malaysia are divided into three primary income groups: B40, M40 and T20. B40 stands for the bottom-tier households with income below RM 4,850 (approximately USD 1,102); M40 for the middle-tier households with income falls between RM 4,850 to RM 10,959 (approximately USD 1,102 to USD 2,490); and T20 represents the top-tier households with incomes over RM10,959 (approximately USD 2,490).