An appraisal-based approach to the stigma of walker-use

Andrew McNeill, Lynne Coventry

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Walker-use among older adults is often avoided because of the stigma of using one. Drawing on the appraisal theory of stress, we argue that stigma associated with walker-use is subject to various cognitive appraisals that affect whether the user sees the walker as stigmatizing and the extent to which they can cope with that stigma. We followed a participatory design approach to involve older adults in the design of an intelligent walker. One of the activities was to conduct focus groups to explore the role of the aesthetic design of the product in acceptance and use of such walkers. Qualitative analysis of these focus groups provides data ex-plaining the ways in which potential users assess stigma and coping resources. We emphasise that while better design of walkers is important, tackling the self-stigma of users and increasing their ability to cope with using one is equally important.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHuman Aspects of IT for the Aged Population. Design for Aging
EditorsJia Zhou, Gavriel Salvendy
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherSpringer
Pages250-261
Volume9193
ISBN (Print)978-3319208916
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Jul 2015

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