Psychological Functioning in Old Age and the Introduction of New Technology

A central feature pertaining to an autonomous use of new technology in the everyday life of the elderly concerns their cognitive readiness to try out new inventions. Are the elderly capable of using advanced technology and, above all, are they even motivated to try? How should the use of technological devices be presented, based on what we know about the functioning of the aged? Modes of thinking in the aged have been studied recently from the perspective of “age and creativity”: in Finland (Ruth, 1980; Mattlar, Ruth and Krauts, 1980–81) and in the United States (Alpaugh, 1975; Alpaugh, Renner and Birren, 1976). The studies were based on divergent thinking tests, and the cognitive processes of different age-groups were compared using rather extensive samples.