Adopting New Technology: The Case of Electrical Plugs and Receptacles

Abstract

As new technologies are being developed for use with home automation systems, the role of the consumer in the acceptance of these technologies is crucial. The acceptance or rejection of individual components can contribute to the success or failure of an entire system. The purpose of this study is to assess the consumer acceptance of three alternative electrical plug and receptacle designs to be con sidered for use by the SMART HOUSE Limited Partnership. The research (a) as sessed the importance of selected characteristics of plugs and receptacles, prior to and following experience with use, (b) determined relative preferences for specified characteristics of plugs and receptacles, and (c) created an index that combined preferences for characteristics for each plug, receptacle, and unit de sign with the importance of the characteristic. The preferences for units were assessed in three different environmental contexts. Data were collected from 148 consumers. There were significant differences in consumers' evaluations of the performance of the three units. Consistent ordering of preferences across mea sures was found. The study reinforces the importance of the end-user in the acceptance of components for home automation systems.