Wendy Lowe (wlowe@tecsult.com)
Fri, 09 Apr 1999 12:36:08 -0400
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 12:36:08 -0400 From: Wendy Lowe <wlowe@tecsult.com> Subject: Re: Technology barriers to older adults
Mary: this was an interesting posting.
I am not a physiologist but recently read The Power of Mindful Learning, where a
study on older learners is reported. The researchers chose two groups that they
considered outside the mainstream of cultural predisposition to the negative
associations of old age; a Chinese group (age is valued as wisdom) and a deaf
group (elders are valued due to their experience, the group is less exposed to
normal bias), the control group was an ordinary American group. They did various
retention exercises, including immediate and delayed recall, and found that (as
expected!) the non-age biased groups retained as well as young adults.
I thought it was interesting and tried to change my mother's mind, but she
clings to the idea thashe is too old to learn. My dad, on the other hand, is
learning how to surf (actually he started windsurfing at 60) and I am the online
help. Is it all a question of attitude?
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