Metaverse acceptance in younger and older cohorts: Testing technology acceptance model

Abstract

The monthly users of Metaverse, a multi-user virtual reality platform, are over 400 million around the world (Nikolovska, 2023). However, research about individual differences in acceptance of the metaverse is still limited. In the present study, we examined individuals’ cognitive responses, attitudes toward using, and willingness to engage in metaverse based on the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1987). Hence, we developed the Metaverse Acceptance Scale (MAS) and explored how young adults and older adults differ in subscales of attitude, intention to use, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and eagerness to know more about metaverse. The participants (N = 721) filled out a demographic questionnaire and MAS online. MAS demonstrated a 4-factor structure with adequate validity and reliability: Attitude, behavioral intention, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. Not only did the subscales and items show variations between younger and older individuals, but also the associations between components of MAS. The associations between perceived ease of use and attitude, perceived usefulness and intention to obtain further information, and attitude and intention to acquire further information showed variations in the two cohorts. The acceptance, engagement, and intention to adopt metaverse can vary based on age. Thus, different age groups may be active in different domains of the metaverse. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026