Maryam “Shabnam” FakhrHosseini, PhD

Research Scientist, MIT AgeLab MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics

Cambridge MA

Dr. FakhrHosseini's research focuses on technology adoption models, social robots for aging and smart home.

Contact

MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics
View more experts managed by MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics

View all Experts

Media

Social

Biography

Shabnam FakhrHosseini is a Research Scientist at the MIT AgeLab. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors from Michigan Technological University. Shabnam has worked on a variety of topics around distracted driving and technology adoption. Before joining the MIT AgeLab, she was a User Researcher at Bose and led projects evaluating usability and user experience for new products. Currently, her research focuses on technology adoption models, social robots for aging in place, and uncovering unmet needs and identifying technological solutions in the area of the smart home.

Areas of Expertise

Technology Adoption Models

User Experience

User Research

Smart Home Technology

Social Robots

Aging in Place

Education

Michigan Technological University

PhD

Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors

2016

Languages

Persian
English

Media Appearances

My editor caught me using ChatGPT. Now what?

MIT AgeLab online

2023-07-11

For my latest blog post, I decided to try something different and collaborated with ChatGPT to help me write it. I engaged in a conversation with ChatGPT and asked it to write a few paragraphs on my chosen topic. The writing gave me an outline to the structure of my blog post with a clear and concise message. It was almost like having a co-author to brainstorm with!! After making a few minor tweaks and reorganizing the text, I happily sent it to Adam Felts, the AgeLab researcher who manages the blog.

Do we need a new technology adoption model?

MIT AgeLab online

2022-06-08

The objects of our everyday lives are becoming increasingly computerized, leading to the development of what researchers describe as Intelligent Environments (IEs). The most common example of an intelligent environment is the smart home—a home outfitted with computerized and automated appliances, sensors, and diverse user interfaces.

Research Papers

User adoption of intelligent environments: A review of technology adoption models, challenges, and prospects

International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction

Shabnam FakhrHosseini, Kathryn Chan, Chaiwoo Lee, Myounghoon Jeon, Heesuk Son, John Rudnik, Joseph Coughlin

2024-02-16

Recent technological advancements have enabled the development of smarter (more automated) and more intelligent (adaptable) environments. To understand what factors lead users to reject or adopt Intelligent Environments (IEs), we reviewed nine prominent technology adoption theories. We conducted a literature review to investigate the acceptance and adoption of different types of IEs. We found that perceived usefulness, ease of use, perceived control or self-efficacy, affect and enjoyment, and perceived risks are the common factors across the studies explaining the adoption of IEs.

A taxonomy of home automation: expert perspectives on the future of smarter homes

Information Systems Frontiers

Shabnam FakhrHosseini, Chaiwoo Lee, Sheng-Hung Lee, Joseph Coughlin

2025-04-01

Recent advancements in digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and information and communication technologies (ICT), are transforming homes into interconnected ecosystem of services. Yet, discourse on home technologies remains fragmented due to inconsistent terminologies. This paper addresses the lack of a framework, studying distinctions between smart and non-smart homes and forecasting connectivity and automation growth. Experts (21) participated in online surveys and interviews in 2021, exploring language, structure, and technical/social aspects of basic and smarter homes.

Telepresence robots in the context of dementia caregiving: caregivers’ and care recipients’ perspectives

Robotics

Shabnam FakhrHosseini, Lauren Cerino, Lisa D’Ambrosio, Lexi Balmuth, Chaiwoo Lee, Mengke Wu, Joseph Coughlin

2024-10-30

As a result of a rapidly aging population and the increasing prevalence of dementia among older adults, technological solutions are increasingly being considered to facilitate caregiving. This research investigates the perspectives of 20 caregiving dyads on VGo, a telepresence social robot with features designed to support caregiving. Care recipients (CRs), aged 65 and older, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, along with their primary caregivers (CGs), evaluated the robot through an online interview study. The interviews integrated informative videos showcasing VGo’s features and functions. Insights from the interviews revealed diverse expectations, interests, and reservations.

Awards

Outstanding Scholarship Award from the Graduate School in Spring 2016

Issued by Michigan Technological University
Jan 2016

Selected Proposal for the Doctoral Colloquium in the 8th International Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive

Vehicular Applications (AutomotiveUI 2016
Oct 2016

Featured in Student Spotlight

Issued by Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) Annual Newsletter, Michigan Tech
Jun 2017