1. Age Related to the Ability to
Adapt to Modern Technology
Student name
University of Wyoming

2. Different Kinds of People
• People who do not want to use technology
• People who want to, but cannot
• People who need to, but cannot
• People who can easily learn

3. Thesis
• As age increases, the ability to
learn to utilize new technology
decreases.
Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS2k_z6sDQc

4. Prior Research
Technology as a different language
• Language of thought –
Rose (1980)
• Results: Thinking in Spanish and English =
better at English
• Age of learning a second language –
Ramsey & Wright (1974)
• Results: Start learning younger = higher
performance

5. Prior Research
• Spatial Learning and Memory
• “Young” vs. “Elderly” learning –
Sklimowska, et al. (2011)
• Results: “Young” (age 20-29) outperformed
“Elderly” (64-77) in learning test

6. Discussion
• Partly a lack of understanding
• Partly a lack of desire
• Must know technology to survive in
the future?
• New generations will have had
technology for their whole lives

7. Conclusion
• Limited research
• How long will results be valid?
• Existing research indicates a correlation
• Future research…

8. •
References
Ramsey, C. A., & Wright, E. N. (1974). Age and second language learning. The Journal of Social
Psychology, 94, 115-121.
• Rose, R. G. (1980). Second language performance and language of thought. Journal of
General Psychology, 103, 245-250.
• Skolimowska, J., Wesierska, M., Lewandowska, M., Szymaszek, A., & Szelag, E. (2011).
Divergent effects of age on performance in spatial associative learning and real
idiothetic memory in humans. Behavioural Brain Research, 218, 87-93.
doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2010.11.035
Photos & Video
• Avatar. (2010). Retrieved April 15, 2011 from
http://spacefiction.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/avatar.png
• Business Competition. Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-
free-stock-photos-business-competition-young-vs-old-image1617028
• old-man-at-computer. (2011). Retrieved April 15, 2011 from
http://to55er.wordpress.com/category/age/
• Sebauri88. (2011, January 9). Howard teaches his mom to use her laptop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS2k_z6sDQc