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Attitudes toward younger and older adults learning to use computers
E B Ryan1, B Szechtman, J Bodkin
1Department of Psychiatry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
Journal of Gerontology
|March 1, 1992
Summary
Age bias affects perceptions in computer learning settings. Older adults were seen as less likely to succeed but more competent overall, with attributions linking their performance to age rather than effort or task difficulty.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Gerontology
Background:
- Age bias is prevalent in various social contexts.
- Understanding age-related perceptions in achievement settings like computer learning is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age bias in person perception within a computer learning environment.
- To examine how age influences attributions for success and failure in computer courses.
Main Methods:
- Employed person perception and direct attitude paradigms.
- Two samples (undergraduates, museum visitors) evaluated target individuals (male/female, 25/70 years) in a computer course.
- Causal attributions were made following outcome feedback.
Main Results:
- Significant age effects were found; gender effects were not.
- Older adults were perceived as less likely to succeed and less typical, yet more competent overall.
- Undergraduates attributed older adults' success less to the task and failure more to age.
Conclusions:
- Age significantly influences perceptions and attributions in computer learning contexts.
- Stereotypes about older adults' capabilities in technology persist.
- Attributional biases highlight age-based reasoning in performance evaluations.