Psychophysical aging and human computer interface design

Abstract

This paper aims to provide an introduction for HCI researchers to findings on physical aging relevant to interface design. The paper begins with a brief examination of the relevance of studying physical aging in relation to design issues. The paper then examines some of the caveats which need to be considered in examining the evidence on aging. It reviews evidence, mainly from the psychological literature on aging, on age-related changes to vision, speech, hearing and motor activity. These effects are examined in relation to their possible relevance to interface design. The paper concludes by considering possible directions for future research.