Older people pick up objects in a different way to younger people. Designers take note: Your products may be less useful for older people as they get older.

Press/Media: Research

Description

I was invited by 'The Conversation' to write an article for the public based on a 2018 publication which I co-authored for a Special Issue (Multisensory Processing and Ageing) of the international journal Multisensory Research. Our research showed how prior expectations can influence older adults’ perception and action during object interaction, with implications for designers and the usability of everyday e.g., houehold objects.   

Period15 May 2018

Media contributions

1

Media contributions

  • TitleOlder people pick up objects in a different way to younger people
    Degree of recognitionNational
    Media name/outletThe Conversation
    Media typeWeb
    Duration/Length/Size800 words
    Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
    Date15/05/18
    DescriptionThe way we interact with manual objects, e.g., the force we use to grasp them, is partly based on how they look, e.g., visual cues about size and/or weight. We found however that older adults did not use size cues (like younger adults did) to determine the grip force used; they gripped smaller and larger objects using the same grip force. This suggests that older adults may use shortcuts when interacting with manual objects, in an effort to focus on other more demanding aspects of the task, such as a steady lifting action.
    Producer/AuthorLauren Potter
    URLhttps://theconversation.com/older-people-pick-up-objects-in-a-different-way-to-younger-people-96479?utm_medium=article_native_share&utm_source=theconversation.com
    PersonsLauren Potter
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