Mobile health (mHealth) apps have fundamentally changed the usage of smartphones in people's daily lives. In this context, sleep apps, the most popular mHealth apps, can track and enhance user well-being. Understanding the antecedents of the usage of sleep apps is of timely research interest. This study focuses on whether and how sleep apps influence Generation Z users’ well-being (as this generation represents a promising market segment for smart devices). More precisely, the authors enhance the technology acceptance model with the uses and gratifications theory, and they test the perceptions of a sleep app before and after use. Structural equation modeling shows that the sleep app positively influences perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, intention to use, real usage, and perceived well-being. Consumers rate higher levels of well-being and usefulness regarding the sleep app before use than after use. Perceived usefulness can enhance usage and, in turn, well-being. Privacy concerns and personality traits moderate the direct effects on well-being. Health app managers should understand the importance of the utilitarian benefits of disruptive technologies, which can be enhanced through empowerment (i.e., self-tracking, self-knowledge, and self-management) and well-being benefits. However, privacy concerns remain the primary reason for consumers’ reluctance toward mHealth apps.
The internet of things, or the IoT, is progressively and surely invading environments, and is consequently creating new kinds of consumer needs and behaviors. More and more companies are getting involved in this growing field, showing the importance for them to understand this technology market. This chapter aims at studying the acceptance process of the IoT. More specifically, the main factors that influence consumer decisions to accept and use the IoT and smart objects have been tested, such as the ethical, wellbeing, social, and utility values. The importance of each benefit is demonstrated, according to specific targets and to examples of applications. A system of values that represents the promises of the IoT and the central needs of users is also described. Besides, a typology of users should help companies creating or refining targeting strategies and should guide consumers into their acceptance process. Finally, further research directions are discussed.
The internet of things (IoT) allows companies to better understand consumers' needs while improving sales conditions (e.g., easier access to products and information, gain of time for employees and consumers, smart entertaining environments, etc.). However, digitalizing a store is an investment. Therefore, it is necessary for managers to know consumers' expectations and the perceived benefits and risks for both managers and consumers. This chapter studies the academic literature and managers opinions about consumers' attitudes toward the acceptance of smart retail stores. More specifically, the roles of consumer well-being, social image, utility value, human value, privacy concerns, technology trust, health concerns, and different personality traits toward smart retail stores are discussed.
In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, e-learning represents a more and more important concern of all education providers and an inevitable direction for the current context in training and education. This chapter follows the theory of gamified learning and the theory of flow to understand to which extent game characteristics improve engagement and learning outcomes, such as performance and engagement. To do this, two groups of learners (N=20) were randomly assigned: the experimental group followed a gamified learning module, and the control group followed the same content without gamification mechanisms. The game mechanisms chosen involve a game, a challenge, virtual rewards, an avatar, a final badge, and a system of points and levels. Results show that the gamified course increased the time spent on the course and the overall performance. Hence, this chapter demonstrates the relevance of using gamification to improve learning outcomes.
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