Data Collection
Participants:
- 10 senior members of Osher Lifelong Learning institute in CMU;
- Age: 62–81
- More self-confident and in control of their lives; more involved in seeking novel experiences, personal challenges, and new adventures.
Interview:
- In-depth one hour interview
- Interpretation session after each interview
Data Synthesis
Affinity Diagram:
We used an Affinity Diagram process to develop user-derived insights from all the data we gathered from our interviews. It is an inductive process where numerous single observations from the data are analyzed in a bottom-up approach to form more general conclusions. We coded and took notes on each of our interviews then came together as a team to group the notes together.
User Interview Insights
Insights on Elderly People’s Communication Pattern
Insight 1: Elderly people prefer face-to-face communication Prefer face-to-face communication
“Face-to-face is most important. Because you can find something going on you can’t find otherwise.”
Insight 2: Communication can be imposing for elderly people.
“Texting for her can be confined and controlled for content and time, but phone call seems hard to control.”
Insight 3: Elderly people connect more frequently with people who share common interests.
“Texting for her can be confined and controlled for content and time, but phone call seems hard to control.”
Insight 4: Social media plays a role in elderly communication
“I will look at Facebook because my grandsons will post pictures there.”
Insight 5: Elderly people have growing concern with using social media.
“I’ve tried to use social media, but there are too many fake information on it.”
Insight 6: The quality of the conversation with family is worsening.
“I think it is the medium that causes the communication shallow.”
Insights on Robot Design
Insight 7: Declining mobility and eyesight affect the way of communication.
“If you get older, you can’t be mobile so that you are not able to socialize.”
Insight 8: Long-distance is an issue for meaningful and engaging social connection.
“If they live in Pittsburgh the thing will be very different. The distance thing is separating you.”
Insight 9: Elderly people are interested in having social interaction with robots.
“For the elderly people who seem to be losing touch with reality, if people gave them responsibility for something to take care of something. Robots can fill this function.”
