Designing acceptable emerging technologies: what contribution from ergonomics?

Abstract

Ergonomics has several theoretical frameworks at its disposal for assessing the acceptability of technologies, and it uses numerous methodologies that exist within the discipline. Authors generally base their studies on one or other of these theoretical and methodological approaches, which are sometimes seen as mutually incompatible. The present article, however, seeks to demonstrate the interest of combining three methodological approaches (i.e., experimental, ecological, and prospective methodologies) in designing emerging technologies that will be accepted. Our first focus is conceptual, and the arguments we present for taking a holistic view of the acceptability of emerging technologies are based on the foundations, the contributions and the limitations of three theoretical frameworks of acceptance (i.e., social acceptance, practical acceptance, and situated acceptance). Our second focus is methodological: using our own work as evidence we argue that an experimental methodology can further both the practical acceptance and the social acceptance of Virtual Reality, that an ecological methodology can further its situated acceptance, and that a prospective methodology has relevance to all three facets. We discuss and suggest some recommendations regarding the use of these methodologies according to the type of design project.

Highlights

• A holistic view of the acceptability of emerging technologies based on social, practical and situated acceptance is proposed.

• The experimental approach informs the practical and social acceptance of virtual reality.

• The ecological approach promotes situated acceptance of emerging technologies.

• The prospective approach is relevant to social, practical and situated acceptance.

Keywords:

• Emerging technologies
• acceptance
• experimentation
• ecological approach
• prospective ergonomics

Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge the Picardy regional authority and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) for the funding support through the LEON project. The authors would like to thank Dr. Katy Tcha-Tokey, Dr. Camille Sagnier and Noémie Chaniaud.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Notes

1 For a complete state of the art on design and assessment methods used in ergonomics and HCI, the reader can see Diaper and Stanton (2004), Stanton et al. (2005) as well as the special issue of Theoretical Issue in Ergonomics Science coordinated by Salmon (2016).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

E. Loup-Escande

Dr. Emilie Loup-Escande is an Associate Professor at the CRP-CPO UR 7273 research center at Picardy Jules Verne University in France. She is interested in the ergonomic design of emerging technologies. She has been involved in the design and assessment of virtual reality applications (product design, training and learning, and entertainment).

G. Loup

Dr. Guillaume Loup is an Associate Professor at the IBISC UR 4526 research center at Paris-Saclay University in France. He is interested in the implementation of 2D/3D interactions in real-time, multiplatform implementation and the integration of devices for interacting with virtual environments.