Why do older workers have problems with technology? 1997

T Stewart
System Concepts, 2 Savoy Court, Strand, London WC2R 0EZ, UK.

Why do older workers seem to have problems with technology? In this paper, I will review several possible reasons and illustrate them with evidence, often anecdotal, from our work as ergonomics practitioners. We find that older workers have more to "unlearn" from their accumulated experience. They may suffer from gradual or not so gradual ailing faculties of sight, hearing, dexterity, stamina, memory, and reaction time. They may exhibit a fear of making mistakes, and they may have strongly established preferences and pessimism about technological gimmicks. But the real problem is often that the designers have failed to anticipate the requirements of their users; they have failed to design for a range of abilities broader than their own; they have failed to test their designs with real people; and they have failed to learn from the experience of the market. Getting design right for older users is really only a continuation of getting design right for all.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007722 Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Knowledge, attitudes, and associated behaviors which pertain to health-related topics such as PATHOLOGIC PROCESSES or diseases, their prevention, and treatment. This term refers to non-health workers and health workers (HEALTH PERSONNEL). Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
D004651 Employment The state of being engaged in an activity or service for wages or salary. Employment Termination,Employment Status,Labor Force,Occupational Status,Status, Occupational,Underemployment,Labor Forces,Status, Employment,Termination, Employment
D005239 Fear The affective response to an actual current external danger which subsides with the elimination of the threatening condition. Threat Cues,Threat Sensitivity,Cue, Threat,Fears,Sensitivity, Threat,Threat Cue,Threat Sensitivities
D006304 Health Status The level of health of the individual, group, or population as subjectively assessed by the individual or by more objective measures. General Health,General Health Level,General Health Status,Level of Health,Overall Health,Overall Health Status,General Health Levels,Health Level,Health Level, General,Health Levels,Health Status, General,Health Status, Overall,Health, General,Health, Overall,Level, General Health,Levels, General Health,Status, General Health,Status, Health,Status, Overall Health
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006804 Ergonomics The science of designing, building or equipping mechanical devices or artificial environments to the anthropometric, physiological, or psychological requirements of the people who will use them. Engineering Psychology,Human Engineering,Cognitive Ergonomics,Ergonomic Assessment,Human Factors Engineering,Human Factors and Ergonomics,Organizational Ergonomics,Physical Ergonomics,Psychology, Engineering,Visual Ergonomics,Cognitive Ergonomic,Ergonomic,Ergonomic Assessments,Ergonomic, Cognitive,Ergonomic, Organizational,Ergonomic, Physical,Ergonomic, Visual,Ergonomics, Cognitive,Ergonomics, Organizational,Ergonomics, Physical,Ergonomics, Visual,Human Factors Engineerings,Organizational Ergonomic,Physical Ergonomic,Visual Ergonomic
D000203 Activities of Daily Living The performance of the basic activities of self care, such as dressing, ambulation, or eating. ADL,Chronic Limitation of Activity,Limitation of Activity, Chronic,Activities, Daily Living,Activity, Daily Living,Daily Living Activities,Daily Living Activity,Living Activities, Daily,Living Activity, Daily
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D001290 Attitude An enduring, learned predisposition to behave in a consistent way toward a given class of objects, or a persistent mental and/or neural state of readiness to react to a certain class of objects, not as they are but as they are conceived to be. Sentiment,Attitudes,Opinions,Opinion,Sentiments
D013672 Technology The application of scientific knowledge to practical purposes in any field. It includes methods, techniques, and instrumentation. Industrial Arts,Arts, Industrial

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