Adapting to new technologies empowers individuals to effectively navigate evolving environments, leading to enhanced performance, diminished mental workload, and increased comfort. Drawing from evolutionary biology, we distinguish between three dimensions of adaptability: Trait Adaptability, reflecting a stable characteristic; State Adaptability, indicating immediate adjustment extent; and Adaptation, encapsulating the ongoing adaptive process. Our insights, gleaned from four distinct studies, delve into trait adaptability in the use of new workplace technologies, state adaptability/the process of adaptation in the use of simulators, and a unique facet in adaptation, intention to adapt, in the realm of automated driving. Our research indicates that individuals’ trait adaptability significantly influences the level of trust placed in a technology. Regarding state adaptability, we identified significant differences between subjectively perceived and objectively measured. Intriguingly, neither age nor prior experience with the technology accounted for this discrepancy. However, individuals exhibiting limited adaptation to a simulated environment spent considerably less time in the simulator, primarily due to the onset of simulator sickness. In addition, we show that attitude toward using automated public transportation and subjective norm predicts individuals’ intention to adapt. With ‘intention to adapt’, we increasingly focus on the behavioural change that is necessary for a successful implementation of new technologies.
In summary, our research underscores the crucial role of adaptation in our interactions with emerging technologies. This role remains pivotal in shaping human behaviour within an increasingly intricate environment, irrespective of the specific technology in use.