Cognitive functioning mediates the relationship between self-perceptions of aging and computer use behavior in late adulthood: Evidence from two longitudinal studies

Abstract Although information and communication technologies have become an integral part of contemporary societies, substantial proportions of the older population remain distant from these digital tools. This stresses the importance of identifying age-specific factors that facilitate or prevent technology adoption among older age groups. Despite being powerful determinants of behavior and health in late adulthood, little is known about the role of stereotypical perceptions about age and aging in the behavioral engagement with technological devices. Across two longitudinal studies, we examined the relationship between self-perceptions of aging and computer use behavior and the mediating role of cognitive functioning. Study 1 was based on the 2010, 2014, and 2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (n=3,404). Study 2 was based on the 2014 and 2017 waves of the German Ageing Survey (n=4,871). Both studies revealed that more positive self-perceptions of aging were associated with more frequent computer use behavior and this relationship was partially mediated by cognitive functioning. This suggests that perceptions about their aging experience can influence how individuals behave towards computer technology by impacting important predictors of use behavior. Interventions promoting positive self-perceptions of aging may thus contribute to the digital and social inclusion of middle-aged and older adults.

[1]  D. Abrams,et al.  Threat or boost? Social comparison affects older people's performance differently depending on task domain. , 2013, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[2]  H. Wahl,et al.  The Role of Attitude Toward Own Aging for Fluid and Crystallized Functioning: 12-Year Evidence From the ILSE Study , 2016, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[3]  Joseph Sharit,et al.  Online Information Search Performance and Search Strategies in a Health Problem-Solving Scenario , 2015, Journal of cognitive engineering and decision making.

[4]  P. Bentler,et al.  Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis : Conventional criteria versus new alternatives , 1999 .

[5]  B. Levy.  Stereotype Embodiment , 2009, Current directions in psychological science.

[6]  B. Levy,et al.  Global reach of ageism on older persons’ health: A systematic review , 2020, PloS one.

[7]  Karin Slegers,et al.  Computer use in older adults: Determinants and the relationship with cognitive change over a 6 year episode , 2012, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[8]  S. Czaja,et al.  Age differences in attitudes toward computers. , 1998, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[9]  S. Maxwell,et al.  Testing mediational models with longitudinal data: questions and tips in the use of structural equation modeling. , 2003, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[10]  Pamela F. Wendt,et al.  Silver surfers: Training and evaluating internet use among older adult learners , 1999 .

[11]  B. Levy,et al.  The stereotype-matching effect: greater influence on functioning when age stereotypes correspond to outcomes. , 2009, Psychology and aging.

[12]  E B Ryan,et al.  Attitudes toward younger and older adults learning to use computers. , 1992, Journal of gerontology.

[13]  Kristopher J Preacher,et al.  New developments in latent variable panel analyses of longitudinal data , 2007 .

[14]  M. Browne,et al.  Alternative Ways of Assessing Model Fit , 1992 .

[15]  K. Henkens,et al.  Dealing with older workers in Europe: a comparative survey of employers' attitudes and actions , 2009 .

[16]  William J. Chopik,et al.  The Benefits of Social Technology Use Among Older Adults Are Mediated by Reduced Loneliness , 2016, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[17]  N. Charness,et al.  Factors Predicting the Use of Technology: Findings From the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) , 2006 .

[18]  M P Lawton,et al.  The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: a revision. , 1975, Journal of gerontology.

[19]  Joelle Laplante,et al.  How Ageism Contributes to the Second-Level Digital Divide: The Case of Canadian Seniors , 2015 .

[20]  R. Kenny,et al.  Negative perceptions of aging predict longitudinal decline in cognitive function. , 2016, Psychology and aging.

[21]  Joseph Sharit,et al.  Factors predicting the use of technology: findings from the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE). , 2006, Psychology and aging.

[22]  E. Ryan.  Beliefs about memory changes across the adult life span. , 1992, Journal of gerontology.

[23]  D. Wechsler.  Manual for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. , 1955 .

[24]  S. Marques,et al.  Determinants of Ageism against Older Adults: A Systematic Review , 2020, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[25]  W. Noyes.  United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization , 1946, International Organization.

[26]  L. Radloff.  The CES-D Scale , 1977 .

[27]  N. Steverink,et al.  The personal experience of aging, individual resources, and subjective well-being. , 2001, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[28]  T. Salthouse.  The processing-speed theory of adult age differences in cognition. , 1996, Psychological review.

[29]  L. Ferrucci,et al.  Memory shaped by age stereotypes over time. , 2012, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[30]  Sunwoo Lee,et al.  Internet Use and Well-Being in Older Adults , 2015, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[31]  K. Rothermund,et al.  Age Stereotypes and Self-Views Revisited: Patterns of Internalization and Projection Processes Across the Life Span , 2015, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[32]  H. de Vries,et al.  Too Old for Computers? The Longitudinal Relationship Between Stereotype Threat and Computer Use by Older Adults , 2020, Frontiers in Psychology.

[33]  Amanda Sonnega,et al.  Cohort Profile: the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). , 2014, International journal of epidemiology.

[34]  Jose C. Yong,et al.  Cognitive, social, emotional, and subjective health benefits of computer use in adults: A 9-year longitudinal study from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) , 2020, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[35]  Joseph Sharit,et al.  Technology Adoption by Older Adults: Findings From the PRISM Trial , 2018, The Gerontologist.

[36]  K. Rothermund,et al.  Internalization of age stereotypes into the self-concept via future self-views: a general model and domain-specific differences. , 2012, Psychology and aging.

[37]  M. Lachman,et al.  The association between computer use and cognition across adulthood: use it so you won't lose it? , 2010, Psychology and aging.

[38]  Gordon W. Cheung,et al.  Evaluating Goodness-of-Fit Indexes for Testing Measurement Invariance , 2002 .

[39]  Elizabeth A. Yost,et al.  Getting Grandma Online: Are Tablets the Answer for Increasing Digital Inclusion for Older Adults in the U.S.? , 2015, Educational gerontology.

[40]  L. Warner,et al.  What do targeting positive views on ageing add to a physical activity intervention in older adults? Results from a randomised controlled trial , 2014, Psychology & health.

[41]  Stefan T. Kamin,et al.  Internet Use and Cognitive Functioning in Late Adulthood: Longitudinal Findings from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). , 2018, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[42]  J. Montepare,et al.  The influence of subjective aging on health and longevity: a meta-analysis of longitudinal data. , 2014, Psychology and aging.

[43]  B. Levy,et al.  Subliminal Strengthening , 2014, Psychological science.

[44]  Eszter Hargittai,et al.  A review of Internet use among older adults , 2018, New Media Soc..

[45]  Alexander Seifert,et al.  Internet use among older Europeans: an analysis based on SHARE data , 2018, Universal Access in the Information Society.

[46]  D. Fiebig,et al.  Internet use and cognition among middle-aged and older adults in China: A cross-lagged panel analysis , 2020 .

[47]  A. Seidler,et al.  Bidirectional Associations Between Self-Perceptions of Aging and Processing Speed Across 3 Years , 2017 .

[48]  J. Day,et al.  Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2003 , 2005 .

[49]  C. Tesch-Römer,et al.  Cohort Profile Cohort Profile : The German Ageing Survey ( DEAS ) , 2017 .

[50]  S. Czaja,et al.  Examining age differences in performance of a complex information search and retrieval task. , 2001, Psychology and aging.

[51]  J. McGregor,et al.  Stereotypes and Older Workers: The New Zealand Experience , 2002 .

[52]  M. Diehl,et al.  Feasibility and Efficacy of the AgingPlus Program: Changing Views on Aging to Increase Physical Activity. , 2017, Journal of aging and physical activity.

[53]  Jerad H. Moxley,et al.  Attitudes Toward Computers Across Adulthood From 1994 to 2013 , 2018, The Gerontologist.

[54]  Joseph Sharit,et al.  Ability-performance relationships as a function of age and task experience for a data entry task , 1998 .

[55]  Stefan Krumm,et al.  Ready to be a Silver Surfer? A Meta-analysis on the Relationship Between Chronological Age and Technology Acceptance , 2018, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[56]  T. Tilburg,et al.  A 6-Item Scale for Overall, Emotional, and Social Loneliness , 2006 .

[57]  A. Kramer,et al.  Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development , 2008, Psychological science in the public interest : a journal of the American Psychological Society.

[58]  B. Meisner.  A meta-analysis of positive and negative age stereotype priming effects on behavior among older adults. , 2012, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.

[59]  Yuri Jang,et al.  Computer Use and Computer Anxiety in Older Korean Americans , 2016, Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society.

[60]  John T. Cacioppo,et al.  A Short Scale for Measuring Loneliness in Large Surveys , 2004, Research on aging.

[61]  Milena M. Head,et al.  Computer use by older adults: A multi-disciplinary review , 2010, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[62]  B. Levy.  Improving memory in old age through implicit self-stereotyping. , 1996, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[63]  M. Hautzinger,et al.  Allgemeine Depressions-Skala (ADS). Normierung an Minderjährigen und Erweiterung zur Erfassung manischer Symptome (ADMS). , 2001 .

[64]  M. L. Hummert,et al.  Stereotypes of the elderly held by young, middle-aged, and elderly adults. , 1994, Journal of gerontology.

[65]  J. Mcardle,et al.  Latent variable analyses of age trends of cognition in the Health and Retirement Study, 1992-2004. , 2007, Psychology and aging.

[66]  Louise Pierrel Mikkelsen,et al.  Too old for technology? Stereotype threat and technology use by older adults , 2021, Behav. Inf. Technol..