The perceptions surrounding assistive devices (ADs) have been shown to be increasingly
stigmatizing in adult populations. This stigmatization can lead to the abandonment of ADs, which may create depression and decreased life-space and sensory input, resulting in cognitive decline. We present a novel quantitate and qualitative study that uses heart-rate, heart-rate variability and eye-tracking, in addition to a new version of the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC) questionnaire, designed to investigate the stigma associated with ADs. This research and novel approach takes a step toward better
understanding and prediction of the physiological correlates associated with self-reported stigma and device abandonment over time.
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