A Typology-Based Approach to Tracing-App Adoption During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the SwissCovid App

Contact tracing technology has been introduced in many countries as part of the COVID-19 containment strategy. However, research indicates that current adoption rates are too low for tracing apps to be effective. To address the complexity of app adoption, a typology-based approach is presented that...

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Main Authors: Sarah Geber, Thomas Friemel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: HOPE 2021-04-01
Series:Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journalqd.org/article/view/2556
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author Sarah Geber
Thomas Friemel
author_facet Sarah Geber
Thomas Friemel
author_sort Sarah Geber
collection DOAJ
description Contact tracing technology has been introduced in many countries as part of the COVID-19 containment strategy. However, research indicates that current adoption rates are too low for tracing apps to be effective. To address the complexity of app adoption, a typology-based approach is presented that differentiates between refusers who generally reject app adoption, ditherers who hesitate to adopt the app, adopters who have downloaded and activated the app, and de-adopters who had installed the app but later uninstalled it. A national online survey of N = 1,535 participants in Switzerland revealed significant differences among these groups of people regarding their perceptions about app-related benefits and costs, knowledge about data handling in technology, and app-related opinion leadership. The results indicate that communication strategies that aim to enhance the rate of app adoption should focus on ditherers and adopters; the former are the most promising target group for behavioral change efforts, and the latter seem to be the best means to reach out to this promising group.
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series Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media
spelling doaj-art-1f9f9065a6464db9afebb7f0418f67a12025-08-20T04:01:57ZengHOPEJournal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media2673-88132021-04-01110.51685/jqd.2021.007A Typology-Based Approach to Tracing-App Adoption During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the SwissCovid AppSarah GeberThomas Friemel0University of Zurich Contact tracing technology has been introduced in many countries as part of the COVID-19 containment strategy. However, research indicates that current adoption rates are too low for tracing apps to be effective. To address the complexity of app adoption, a typology-based approach is presented that differentiates between refusers who generally reject app adoption, ditherers who hesitate to adopt the app, adopters who have downloaded and activated the app, and de-adopters who had installed the app but later uninstalled it. A national online survey of N = 1,535 participants in Switzerland revealed significant differences among these groups of people regarding their perceptions about app-related benefits and costs, knowledge about data handling in technology, and app-related opinion leadership. The results indicate that communication strategies that aim to enhance the rate of app adoption should focus on ditherers and adopters; the former are the most promising target group for behavioral change efforts, and the latter seem to be the best means to reach out to this promising group. https://journalqd.org/article/view/2556technology adoptiondiffusionprivacy calculusopinion leadershipdigital contact tracingCOVID-19
spellingShingle Sarah Geber
Thomas Friemel
A Typology-Based Approach to Tracing-App Adoption During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the SwissCovid App
Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media
technology adoption
diffusion
privacy calculus
opinion leadership
digital contact tracing
COVID-19
title A Typology-Based Approach to Tracing-App Adoption During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the SwissCovid App
title_full A Typology-Based Approach to Tracing-App Adoption During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the SwissCovid App
title_fullStr A Typology-Based Approach to Tracing-App Adoption During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the SwissCovid App
title_full_unstemmed A Typology-Based Approach to Tracing-App Adoption During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the SwissCovid App
title_short A Typology-Based Approach to Tracing-App Adoption During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the SwissCovid App
title_sort typology based approach to tracing app adoption during the covid 19 pandemic the case of the swisscovid app
topic technology adoption
diffusion
privacy calculus
opinion leadership
digital contact tracing
COVID-19
url https://journalqd.org/article/view/2556
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