Comparing Caregiver Perceptions of a Social Robot and Tablet for Serious Game Delivery in Dementia Care:...

Social robots integrated with serious games hold promise as innovative nonpharmacological strategies in dementia care. However, limited studies have adopted quantitative, platform-level comparisons from the perspective of formal caregivers, who are key stakeholders in technology implementation in dementia care settings.

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, usability, and overall user experience of a serious game-based interaction model delivered via a screen-equipped social robot, compared to a tablet-based version of the same model, from the perspective of formal dementia caregivers.

A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted with 120 formal dementia caregivers. Each caregiver individually interacted with both a screen-equipped social robot and a touchscreen tablet, delivering identical serious game content incorporating cognitive exercises, music therapy, and reminiscence. The robot featured multimodal interaction capabilities, including voice, gestures, movement, and facial expression display, while the tablet relied on standard touchscreen functions. Caregivers evaluated both platforms using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), System Usability Scale (SUS), and a customized Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Group comparisons were performed using t tests, with post hoc Benjamini-Hochberg correction applied to control for multiple comparisons.

Caregivers generally favored the social robot over the tablet. The robot received higher total UEQ scores (mean 1.29, SD 1.14, vs mean 0.99, SD 1.08; P=.004), particularly in enjoyment (P=.002), friendliness (P=.006), clarity (P=.002), organization (P=.02), interest (P=.01), and innovation (P=.002). In the SUS, caregivers rated the robot higher for quick learning (mean 2.71, SD 0.79 vs mean 2.44, SD 0.81; P=.002), while overall SUS scores were comparable. TAM results indicated higher total scores for the robot (mean 4.03, SD 0.47 vs mean 3.67, SD 0.58; P=.002), with stronger ratings in perceived usefulness (P=.002), ease of use (P=.002), attitudes (P=.002), and behavioral intentions (P=.002). All P values are from 2-tailed t tests and were adjusted using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure.

The social robot used in this study was perceived by formal dementia caregivers as providing a more favorable user experience and eliciting a stronger intention to use compared to a tablet-based platform. These findings support the feasibility of social robots as a platform for delivering technology-supported activities in dementia care and provide a foundation for future research on their implementation and outcomes in dementia care.