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Asghar_Torrens_Harland_2019_influence of social context on the perception of assistive technology_DR_AT_Accepted Version.pdf (791.86 kB)

The influence of social context on the perception of assistive technology: using a semantic differential scale to compare young adults’ views from the United Kingdom and Pakistan

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posted on 2019-08-02, 13:01 authored by Salman Asghar, George TorrensGeorge Torrens, Hassan Iftikhar, Ruth WelshRuth Welsh, Robert G. HarlandRobert G. Harland

Background and aim: A Society's view of disability may influence the perception and use of Assistive Technology (AT) products. Semantic cues or cultural coding provide the viewer with a series of visual stimuli to be given or ascribed meaning. Previous research has shown cognitive approaches to visual perception and assignment of meaning vary between diverse cultures. This study reviews the influence of contextual settings on perception, to provide the basis for a debate on the societal perception of communicative content (semantic/meaning) of an AT product; and, the relevance of different cultural cognitive styles. The paper explores, from a cultural viewpoint, the overall understanding of disability internationally.

Method: A Semantic Differential (SD) scale was used to obtain views on the image of an attendant wheelchair from nine hundred and ninety-one (991) young adults from the United Kingdom (UK) and Pakistan (PAK), reflecting the individualist and collectivist societies, respectively. This survey follows a previous paper-based study using the same image and protocol. Comparing the two surveys, a consensus of views from the two groups was achieved.

Results and conclusion: The responses from the UK group were skewed towards a negative view of disability compared to the Pakistan group. This inferred greater social stigma associated with this AT product in the UK. The combined findings from both surveys provide insights into societal perception of AT products and disability. Areas for future research are suggested, including what visual components of an AT product (graphemes) appear to be associated with positive or negative responses for collectivist and individual societal groups.

Funding

University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore and Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan under Faculty Development Program (FDP) scholarship scheme.

History

School

  • Design
  • The Arts, English and Drama

Department

  • Arts

Published in

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology

Volume

15

Issue

5

Pages

563-576

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Version

  • AM (Accepted Manuscript)

Publisher statement

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology on 25 September 2019, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/17483107.2019.1646819.

Acceptance date

2019-07-18

Publication date

2019-09-25

Copyright date

2020

ISSN

1748-3107

eISSN

1748-3115

Language

  • en

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