Short answer

Incorporate user screening for anxiety and cognitive reserve, and implement adaptive interfaces or training protocols to mitigate negative psychoaffective responses and optimize usability for assistive wearable technologies.

Field: Human Factors
Source: Multimodal Technologies and Interaction (2025)
Method: Pilot study with quantitative analysis
Sample: 10 participants
Evidence: Moderate effect

An individual's cognitive reserve and pre-existing anxiety levels significantly influence their perception of usability and workload when interacting with wearable assistive robotic devices. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Multimodal Technologies and Interaction. Using Pilot study with quantitative analysis with 10 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Incorporate user screening for anxiety and cognitive reserve, and implement adaptive interfaces or training protocols to mitigate negative psychoaffective responses and optimize usability for assistive wearable technologies.

Study

Human FactorsNew This WeekModerate effect

Cognitive Reserve and Anxiety Levels Predict User Experience with Wearable Assistive Devices

An individual's cognitive reserve and pre-existing anxiety levels significantly influence their perception of usability and workload when interacting with wearable assistive robotic devices.

Multimodal Technologies and Interaction · 2025

Key Findings

01Pre-trial anxiety levels were higher than post-trial levels.
02Trait anxiety predicted experienced effort.
03State anxiety predicted perceived overall workload.
04High-average cognitive reserve predicted the perception of exoskeleton usability.
05Workload was negatively correlated with personal identification with the exoskeleton.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

Before deploying assistive wearable devices, consider implementing brief questionnaires to assess user anxiety and cognitive function. Use this information to tailor onboarding, training, and user interface elements to improve user experience and adoption.

Project actions

01When designing assistive devices, think about how users might feel and if they have any cognitive challenges.
02Consider how to make the device feel less intimidating or overwhelming.

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate the relationships between psychological, cognitive, and robot-related factors influencing human-robot interaction and to promote a human-centric approach in robotic rehabilitation.

MethodPilot study with quantitative analysis

ProcedureAble-bodied volunteers completed a task involving walking with a lower-limb exoskeleton. Their anxiety levels, experienced workload, cognitive reserve, and perceived usability were assessed before and after the task.

Sample10 participants

ContextHuman-robot interaction in assistive wearable devices, specifically lower-limb exoskeletons for rehabilitation.

Variables

IV["Pre-trial anxiety levels","Trait anxiety","State anxiety","Cognitive reserve"]

DV["Experienced effort","Perceived overall workload","Perception of exoskeleton usability","Personal identification with the exoskeleton"]

CV["Type of exoskeleton","Walking task (10m path, 10 trials)","Able-bodied volunteers"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Investigates often-overlooked psychological and cognitive factors.
+Provides preliminary evidence for personalization in assistive device design.

Limitations

It's hard to accurately measure anxiety and cognitive reserve in a short design project. The findings are also based on a small group of people.

Reliability & validity

The study's reliability and validity are limited by its pilot nature and small sample size. Further research with larger, diverse populations and standardized assessment tools would be needed to confirm these findings.

Think critically

How can designers proactively address potential user anxiety and cognitive load without making the design process overly complex or intrusive?

Design Principles

"User acceptance of assistive technology is mediated by individual psychological and cognitive characteristics, necessitating a personalized design approach."

Understanding the psychoaffective and cognitive states of users is crucial for designing assistive technologies that are not only functional but also readily accepted and integrated into daily life. This insight highlights the need to move beyond purely technical specifications and consider the human element in the design process.

What This Means for Your Design

How someone feels (anxious or calm) and how their brain works (cognitive reserve) really affects how much they like and can use a robot helper, like a leg brace.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the importance of user psychology and cognition in the context of assistive technology design.
2.Use the findings to justify user testing methods that explore emotional and cognitive responses.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This pilot study by Bertuccelli et al. (2025) underscores the critical role of psychoaffective and cognitive factors in the acceptance and usability of wearable assistive devices. Their findings suggest that pre-existing anxiety levels and cognitive reserve significantly influence user perception of workload and overall device appreciation. This highlights the necessity for designers to consider individual user psychology and cognition, moving towards personalized design strategies to enhance user experience and technology adoption in assistive applications.

Source

Multimodal Technologies and Interaction

Human–Robot Interactions: A Pilot Study of Psychoaffective and Cognitive Factors to Boost the Acceptance and Usability of Assistive Wearable Devices

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about cognitive reserve and anxiety levels predict user experience with wearable assistive devices?: Incorporate user screening for anxiety and cognitive reserve, and implement adaptive interfaces or training protocols to mitigate negative psychoaffective responses and optimize usability for assistive wearable technologies. Evidence: Multimodal Technologies and Interaction (2025).
Why does "Cognitive Reserve and Anxiety Levels Predict User Experience with Wearable Assistive Devices" matter for design?: Understanding the psychoaffective and cognitive states of users is crucial for designing assistive technologies that are not only functional but also readily accepted and integrated into daily life. This insight highlights the need to move beyond purely technical specifications and consider the human element in the design process.
How can designers apply this research?: Incorporate user screening for anxiety and cognitive reserve, and implement adaptive interfaces or training protocols to mitigate negative psychoaffective responses and optimize usability for assistive wearable technologies.
What were the main findings?: Pre-trial anxiety levels were higher than post-trial levels.. Trait anxiety predicted experienced effort.. State anxiety predicted perceived overall workload.. High-average cognitive reserve predicted the perception of exoskeleton usability.
What research method was used?: Pilot study with quantitative analysis with 10 participants.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2025 journal from Multimodal Technologies and Interaction.
What should I do differently in my next project?: Before deploying assistive wearable devices, consider implementing brief questionnaires to assess user anxiety and cognitive function. Use this information to tailor onboarding, training, and user interface elements to improve user experience and adoption.
What are the limitations?: Small sample size, use of able-bodied volunteers (not individuals with disabilities), and a single type of assistive device.