Summary
Malaysia has high internet connectivity and mobile-technology readiness, yet smart home technology penetration has stayed modest, well behind the pace seen in other markets. Why do some households start using it while others, with the same access, do not? This study answers the question using the Fogg Behavior Model, which holds that a behaviour occurs only when motivation, ability and a prompt converge at the same moment, offering a psychology-first alternative to the Technology Acceptance Model that dominates the adoption literature.
Keywords: smart home, Internet of Things, technology adoption, Fogg Behavior Model, Malaysia
1. Method
A quantitative survey, built from an extensive literature review and refined through preliminary interviews, was fielded to actual users of smart home technology in Malaysia. It gathered 425 valid responses, analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test how motivation, ability and vendor trust jointly predict usage.
2. Key Findings
The study finds that a set of factors significantly influence smart home technology usage:
3. Why It Matters
The paper answers the call made in the authors' 2021 review for new theories beyond the Technology Acceptance Model. For vendors and developers, it shows that adoption depends on more than features: price, ease of use, support and trust all shape whether people actually use the technology, and that motivation, ability and a well-timed prompt must line up together before a household will act.
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Cite This Paper
Leong, Y. R., & Tajudeen, F. P. (2026). Exploring the adoption of IoT-based smart home technology in Malaysia: An empirical study using the Fogg Behavior Model. Current Psychology, 45(2), Article 166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-08840-6
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