Principal Investigator: Ingrid Ott

Hybrid adaptive systems are reshaping how individuals interact with technology across both work and everyday life. Public debates continue over how people come to accept, adapt to, or resist such systems. This study investigates whether targeted information exposure and social diffusion mechanisms influence adoption and adaptation processes, particularly in sensitive domains and public settings such as education, healthcare, and administration.

Using a series of survey experiments, we measure innovation acceptance across user segments through established frameworks, including the Technology Acceptance Model and diffusion theories, with a focus on trust formation, usability, and technology literacy. Respondents are randomly assigned to different informational treatments to assess whether framing effects shape individual perceptions and responses to hybrid adaptive technologies.

We further examine whether individuals perceive these technologies as complements to, or substitutes for, their existing skills, a critical distinction for understanding adoption dynamics. The results aim to contribute to the understanding of cognitive and contextual factors associated with user perception and the diffusion of digital innovations, highlighting implications for policy and implementation processes.