Age differences in constraints encountered by seniors in their use of computers and the internet

Authors:
Bob Lee;Yiwei Chen;Lynne Hewitt
Affiliations:
School of Human Movement, Sports and Leisure Studies, Bowling Green State University, 212 Eppler North, Bowling Green, OH 43402, United States;Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43402, United States;Department of Communication Science and Disorder, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43402, United States
Venue:
Computers in Human Behavior
Year:
2011

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Abstract

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore older computer users' constraints at various age stages. We investigated perceived barriers experienced by older adults in the use of computer-mediated information technology in different age segments (the pre-senior, the young-old, and the older-old). Two hundred forty-three senior computer users participated in the study. Respondents' ages ranged from 50 to 93. Results from exploratory factor analysis and one-way analysis of variance suggested that there were four dimensions of constraints encountered by seniors while dealing with computer-based technologies: Intrapersonal, interpersonal, structural, and functional constraints. These results indicated that senior users might face diverse barriers at different age stages. Implications for developing an effective programming for older adults and research limitations were discussed at the end.