Abstract
Ten older adults were interviewed about the motivational factors behind learning to use computers and the negative and positive aspects related to it. They were then given search tasks and were observed as they used search engines for finding information from the Web. All of the participants completed several search tasks during the search session. Although their performance in the search tasks was adequate, they faced several problems in the interaction. For example, text editing was difficult and understanding the structure of the Web and terminology used caused problems. Based on the observations, an “elderly friendly” search user interface is proposed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aula A (2003) Query formulation in web information search. In: Isaías P, Karmakar N (eds) Proceedings of the IADIS international conference WWW/Internet 2003, Algarve, Portugal, November 2003. IADIS Press, Lisbon, Portugal, pp 403–410
Aula A, Käki M (2003) Understanding expert search strategies for designing user-friendly search interfaces. In: Isaías P, Karmakar N (eds) Proceedings of the IADIS international conference WWW/Internet 2003, Algarve, Portugal, November 2003. IADIS Press, Lisbon, Portugal, pp 403–410
Chadwick-Dias A, McNulty M, Tullis T (2003) Web usability and age: how design changes can improve performance. In: Proceedings of the ACM conference on universal usability (CUU 2003), Vancouver, Canada, November 2003. ACM Press, New York, pp 30–37, DOI: 10.1145/957205.957212
Chadwick-Dias A, Tedesco T, Tullis T (2004) Older adults and web usability: is web experience the same as web expertise? In: Proceedings of the ACM CHI 2004 conference on human factors in computing systems, Vienna, Austria, April 2004. ACM Press, New York, pp 1391–1394, DOI: 10.1145/985921.986072
Coleman R (1997) Designing for our future selves. Interactions 4(2):44–45, DOI: 10.1145/245129.245133
Comijs HC, Dik MG, Deeg DJH, Jonker C (2004) The course of cognitive decline in older persons: results from the longitudinal aging study Amsterdam. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 17:136–142, DOI: 10.1159/000076346
Cutler SJ, Hendricks J, Guyer A (2003) Age differences in home computer availability and use. J Gerontol Soc Sci 58B(5):S271-S280
Czaja SJ, Sharit J (1998) Age differences in attitudes towards computers. J Gerontol Psychol Sci 53B(5):329–340
Eisma R, Dickinson A, Goodman J, Syme A, Tiwari L, Newell AF (2004) Early user involvement in the development of information technology-related products for older people. Univ Access Inf Soc 3(2):131–140, DOI 10.1007/S10209-004-0092-x
Ellis RD, Allaire J (1999) Modeling computer interest in older adults: the role of age, education, computer knowledge, and computer anxiety. Hum Factors 41(3):345–355
Fox S (2004) Older Americans and the Internet. Pew Internet and American Life Project, Washington, DC. Available at http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Seniors_Online_2004.pdf
Fozard JL (1997) Distribution of age and technology. Interactions 4(2):42–43, DOI: 10.1145/245129.245133
Glendenning F (2004) Education for older adults: lifelong learning, empowerment, and social change. In: Nussbaum JF, Coupland J (eds) Handbook of communication and aging research. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, New Jersey, pp 523–541
Goodman J, Syme A, Eisma R (2003) Older adults’ use of computers: a survey. In: Proceedings the 17th annual conference on human–computer interaction (HCI 2003): designing for society, Bath, UK, September 2003
Gregor P, Newell AF, Zajicek M (2002) Designing for dynamic diversity: interfaces for older people. In: Proceedings of the 5th international ACM SIGACCESS conference on assistive technologies (ASSETS 2002), Edinburgh, UK, July 2002, pp 151–156, DOI: 10.1145/638249.638277
Hawthorn D (1998) Cognitive aging and human computer interface design. In: Proceedings of the Australasian conference on computer human interaction (OZCHI’96), Hamilton, New Zealand, November 1996, pp 270–280
Hawthorn D (1998) Psychophysical aging and human computer interface design. In: Proceedings of the Australasian conference on computer human interaction (OZCHI’96), Hamilton, New Zealand, November 1996, pp 281–291
Hoffman DL, Novak TP, Venkatesh A (2004) Has the Internet become indispensable? Commun ACM 47(4):37–42, DOI: 10.1145/1005817.1005818
Hölscher C, Strube G (2000) Web search behavior of internet experts and newbies. In: Proceedings of the 9th international World Wide Web conference (WWW9), Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 2000, pp 337–346
Jansen BJ, Pooch U (2001) Web user studies: a review and framework for future work. J Amer Soc Inform Sci Technol 52(3):235–246
Karavidas M, Lim NK, Katsikas SL (2005) The effects of computers on older adult users. Comput Hum Behav (in press)
Kubeck JE, Miller-Albrecht SA, Murphy MD (1999) Finding information on the World Wide Web: exploring older adults’ exploration. Educ Gerontol 25:167–183
Kurniawan SH, Ellis RD, Allaire JC (2002) The impact of web self-efficacy, age, and web experience on bookmark manipulation. Univ Access Inf Soc 1(3):207–216, DOI 10.1007/S10209-002-0029-3
Laguna K, Babcock RL (1997) Computer anxiety in young and older adults: implications for human-computer interactions in older populations. Comput Hum Behav 13(3):317–326
Lines L, Hone KS (2004) Eliciting user requirements with older adults: lessons from the design of an interactive domestic alarm system. Univ Access Inf Soc 3(2):141–148, DOI 10.1007/S10209-004-0094-x
Matlin MW (2002) Cognition. Thomson Learning, New York
Mead SE, Sit RA, Rogers WA, Jamieson BA, Rousseau GK (2000) Influences of general computer experience and age on library database search performance. Behav Inform Technol 19(2):107–123
Meyer B, Sit RA, Spaulding VA, Mead SE, Walker N (1997) Age group differences in World Wide Web navigation. In: Proceedings of the ACM CHI 1997 conference on human factors in computing systems, Atlanta, Georgia, April 1997. ACM Press, New York, pp 295–296
Morrell RW, Mayhorn CB, Bennet J (2000) A survey of World Wide Web use in middle-aged and older adults. Hum Factors 42:175–182
Morris, JM (1992) The effects of an introductory computer course on the attitudes of older adults towards computers. In: Proceedings of the ACM CHI 1992 conference on human factors in computing systems, Monterey, California, May 1992. ACM Press, New York, pp 72–75, DOI: 10.1145/134510.134526
Mukanetti Association. Home page at http://www.mukanetti.net/eng.html
Pollock A, Hockley A (1997) What’s wrong with Internet searching. D-Lib Magazine, March 1997. Available at http://www.dlib.org/dlib/march97/bt/03pollock.html
Powell DH, Whitla DK (1994) Profiles in cognitive aging. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Rogers WA, Gilbert DK, Fraser E (1997) An analysis of automatic teller machine usage by older adults: a structured interview approach. Appl Ergonom 28(3):173–180
Rogers WA, Meyer B, Fisk AD (1998) Functional limitations to daily living tasks in the aged: a focus group analysis. Hum Factors 40:111–125
SearchEngineWatch (2003) Searches per day. Available at http://searchenginewatch.com/reports/article.php/2156461.
Selwyn N, Gorard S, Furlong J, Madden L (2003) Older adults’ use of ICT in everyday life. Ageing Soc 23:561–582, DOI 10.1017/S0144686X03001302
Smith MW, Sharit J, Czaja SJ (1999) Aging, motor control, and the performance of computer mouse tasks. Hum Factors 41(3):389–396
Wagner LS, Wagner TH (2003) The effect of age on the use of health and self-care information: confronting the stereotype. Gerontologist 43(3):318–324
Zajicek M (2001) Interface design for older adults. In: Proceedings of the 2001 EC/NSF workshop on universal accessibility of ubiquitous computing: providing for the elderly, Alcácer do Sal, Portugal, May 2001. ACM Press, New York, pp 60–65, DOI: 10.1145/564526.564543
Zaphiris P, Ellis RD (2000) Mathematical modeling of age differences in hierarchical information systems. In: Proceedings of the ACM conference on universal usability (CUU 2000), Arlington, Virginia, November 2000, pp 157–158
Zaphiris P, Kurniawan SH, Ellis RD (2003) Age related differences and the depth vs. breadth tradeoff in hierarchical online information systems. In: Carbonell N, Stephanidis C (eds) User interfaces for all. Lecture notes in computer science, vol 2615. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 23–42
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank all the elderly computer users who volunteered for this study. I would also like to thank Eija-Riitta Kortesluoma and Heikki Pettilä for their help in recruiting the participants and also for having a positive attitude towards scientific research on this area. Professor Kari-Jouko Räihä, Johanna Höysniemi, and Tomi Heimonen are thanked for giving valuable comments on this paper. The study was financially supported by the Graduate School in User-Centered Information Technology and the Academy of Finland (project 178099).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aula, A. User study on older adults’ use of the Web and search engines. Univ Access Inf Soc 4, 67–81 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-004-0097-7
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-004-0097-7