An Analysis of Age, Technology Usage, and Cognitive Characteristics Within Information Retrieval Tasks
Michael Crabb, Vicki L. Hanson · 2016 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS) · doi:10.1145/2856046
Summary
This paper challenges the common practice of using chronological age as the primary metric for distinguishing user performance in HCI studies, arguing that Internet confidence and cognitive factors — particularly perceptual speed — are far better predictors of browsing experience during information retrieval tasks. Two studies were conducted. Study 1 recruited 18 participants (12 older adults, 6 younger adults), split into groups by age, Internet usage level, and fluid intelligence, and tasked them with searching for information on websites. Performance was measured through objective metrics including task completion time, pages visited, and mouse clicks. Study 2 recruited 20 participants (10 older, 10 younger) and used a broader set of seven independent measures — age, Internet usage, Internet confidence, and four cognitive abilities from the Woodcock-Johnson III battery (fluid induction, processing/perceptual speed, short-term memory span, and long-term meaningful memory) — to predict three subjective outcome measures: perceived disorientation, reported website ease of use, and overall browsing experience. Multiple regression models with hierarchical entry (age first, then Internet factors, then cognitive factors) were used to determine the unique contribution of each predictor.
Key findings
Across all regression models in Study 2, age could not account for a significant amount of variance in any subjective browsing experience measure. In contrast, Internet confidence was a significant predictor of perceived disorientation (beta = -0.752, p < 0.01), ease of use, and overall browsing experience in every model. Processing/perceptual speed was also a significant predictor of perceived disorientation (beta = -0.538, p < 0.05) and overall browsing experience. The full model including Internet and cognitive factors accounted for 48.5% of variance in perceived disorientation, compared to essentially zero for age alone (adjusted R-squared = -0.023). Surprisingly, inductive reasoning (fluid intelligence) — widely studied in aging and HCI literature — was not a significant predictor of subjective browsing experience, though it may better predict objective measures like task completion time. Study 1 found that high-Internet-usage participants spent less time on search result pages before clicking, visited more pages overall, and were more efficient, while age-based differences in objective performance were similar to the high/low Internet usage split. A key insight was that Internet confidence (how comfortable users feel) matters more than Internet usage amount (how much they use it) for predicting browsing experience.
Relevance
This research has significant implications for how the accessibility and UX communities approach age-related design. The finding that age is essentially useless as a predictor of browsing experience — while Internet confidence and perceptual speed are strong predictors — challenges the widespread practice of designing for "older adults" as a homogeneous group. Instead, practitioners should consider designing for confidence levels and cognitive profiles, which cut across age boundaries. For organizations conducting usability testing, the recommendation is clear: collect Internet confidence and cognitive measures rather than relying on age-based participant groupings. The emphasis on confidence rather than usage suggests that onboarding and training interventions should focus on building user confidence — making people feel comfortable with a system — rather than simply providing more features or documentation. For web designers, reducing disorientation through clear navigation structures, consistent layouts, and predictable interactions may disproportionately benefit users with lower perceptual speed or Internet confidence, regardless of their age.
Tags: aging · cognitive accessibility · web search · information retrieval · fluid intelligence · internet experience · usability · older adults