Adaptation to Smart Sports Technologies: Theoretical Background, Structural Dimensions, and a Proposed Conceptual Model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17972976%20Keywords:
Wearable , Technology Smart, Sports GarmentsAbstract
Digitalization has fundamentally transformed modern sports by reshaping performance analysis, training design, and athlete–technology interaction. Smart sports technologies such as wearable sensors, artificial intelligence–based analytics, and data-driven decision-support systems provide substantial performance and monitoring advantages; however, successful integration depends largely on athletes’ and coaches’ adaptation processes rather than technical features alone. The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework explaining adaptation to smart sports technologies within sports settings. This study adopts a theoretical and conceptual research design. Drawing on an extensive review of the literature, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Task–Technology Fit (TTF), and Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT) are integrated to explain the multidimensional nature of technology adaptation in sports. The proposed framework synthesizes cognitive evaluations, functional alignment, attitudinal processes, and resistance mechanisms into a unified model. The conceptual analysis indicates that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use constitute the cognitive foundation of adaptation, while task–technology fit determines the functional alignment between technology and sport-specific tasks. Attitude and behavioral intention emerge as key psychological mechanisms linking evaluation to actual usage behavior. Conversely, innovation resistance manifested through cultural, emotional, habitual, and risk-related barriers acts as a suppressive force that weakens acceptance and technology integration. In conclusion, adaptation to smart sports technologies is a multidimensional process shaped by acceptance, functional fit, and resistance factors. The proposed model provides a strong theoretical basis for future empirical studies and for the development of valid and reliable measurement tools in sports technology research.References
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