User acceptability of biometric emotion-sensing technologies: The role of perceived intrusiveness and psycho-attitudinal segmentation

Emotion-sensing technologies are increasingly deployed in consumer contexts, yet their adoption is shaped by concerns related to privacy, bodily exposure, and emotional surveillance. While dominant acceptance models such as TAM, UTAUT, and the Privacy Calculus emphasize cognitive predictors, less attention has been given to embodied and attitudinal mechanisms associated with biometric sensing. This study examines how perceived intrusiveness relates to the acceptability of four emotion-sensing technologies (facial analysis, voice analysis, eye-tracking, and heart-rate variability) and how psycho-attitudinal dispositions structure user evaluations. Using a within-subject experimental design (N = 56) and scenario-based assessments, we conducted repeated-measures ANOVAs, correlation and mediation analyses, and k-means clustering. Results indicate that perceived intrusiveness is negatively associated with comfort, ethical acceptability, and intention to use. Heart-rate variability was evaluated as less intrusive and more acceptable than facial analysis, with voice and eye-tracking occupying intermediate positions. Mediation analyses suggest that privacy priority and technology distrust are linked to evaluations through perceived intrusiveness, whereas technological enthusiasm shows more direct associations. Three psycho-attitudinal profiles were identified, differing systematically in acceptance patterns. These findings introduce the concept of symbolic bodily exposure as an interpretive lens for understanding differentiated reactions to biometric modalities and contribute to a more context-sensitive perspective on emotion-sensing adoption.