Human Versus Robot Assistance: Older Adults' Preferences for Assistance on Domestic Tasks

Robots have the potential to perform various domestic tasks for older adults and support them to age in place. Previous studies investigating older adults' preferences for robot assistance did not provide an alternative option for participants to choose. Such practice is incongruent with the concept of preference, which indicates a greater desire for something than another. It also discourages a direct comparison between different options. This study aims to identify the domestic tasks that older adults prefer robots to perform and the domestic tasks that they prefer humans to perform when an alternative option is available. This cross-sectional descriptive study assessed 385 domestic-living older adults' preferences between human and robot assistance in 48 domestic tasks. Findings from a simple t-test confirmed that participants had a significant preference for human assistance in 13 domestic tasks and robot assistance in 33 other domestic tasks (p < .05). Compared with previous findings in 2014, this study identified an additional 18 domestic tasks that were preferred for robot assistance by older adults, implying that older adults are now more open to robot assistance. This study provides new insight into the development and choice of robots that meet the current preferences of older adults.