Using Eye Tracking to Examine Age-Related Differences in Web Site Performance

The U.S. population is increasing, people are living longer, technology is moving forward, and the amount of older adults using computers is greater than ever. The percentage of older adults who are connecting to the Internet has grown more than any other age group. However, Web sites are often not designed with older adults in mind, and the cognitive difficulties that are inherent with age are often not taken into consideration. Using Census Bureau data, this paper addresses changes in population and technology, and using eye-tracking data from a usability study conducted at the Census Bureau, this paper demonstrates age-related differences in Web site performance. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.

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