| Sumario: | Purpose Some factors that influence the acceptance and use of technology by aging Chinese, such as normal chronological age-related changes and factors related to birth cohort, are unique to Chinese culture, but others are not. Method The technology acceptance model (TAM)1 posits that the main determinants of technology acceptance by persons of any age are perceived ease of use and usefulness, which in turn are influenced by several effects of age and birth cohort. Results & Discussion Technology supports almost all domains of human activity: health, housing and everyday functioning, mobility and transport, communication, and work and leisure. This paper describes how the TAM relates to differences in the effects of age and birth cohort2. It then identifies which of the cohort effects most closely reflect those that are unique to Chinese culture. Features of aging that influence technology acceptance by all aging and aged adults include changes in perceptual-motor function, cognitive abilities, personality, and motivation. Cohort effects that are not unique to Chinese culture include health and education, increases in longevity, use of technology related to communication and transportation, and control of environmental changes across successive birth cohorts. Cohort effects that are more closely related to Chinese culture include massive urbanization, state-imposed limitations on the number of children per family, and recent reinterpretations of the significance of Chinese traditions and cultural history. This review of the literature will provide a more systematic approach to the application of the TAM for Chinese aging and aged adults.
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