Development and validation of social compensation design scale for urban older users in the context of smart-home social media.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The social compensation hypothesis posits that computer-mediated communication can offset psychosocial vulnerabilities among users who face barriers to face-to-face interaction, thereby enhancing well-being. Yet, there is no validated instrument to assess which design features of digital systems enable such compensation.

Objective

To develop and validate a Social Compensation Design Scale (SCDS) for urban older adults living alone, situated within smart-home social media as part of home-based, health-enabling environments.

Methods

We conducted a three-phase study from an information systems design perspective: item generation and expert review via a Delphi process, followed by two questionnaire surveys. Valid responses were obtained from 340 and 357 urban o

SUBMITTER: Ma K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12827931 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature