Neil Charness

Florida State University | FSU · Department of Psychology

Background and objectives: The future of cognitive assessment is likely to involve mobile applications for smartphones and tablets; cognitive training is also often delivered in these formats. Unfortunately, low adherence to these programs can hinder efforts at the early detection of cognitive decline and interfere with examining cognitive trainin...

Background Older adults tend to have insufficient health literacy, which includes eHealth literacy—the ability to access, assess, and use digital health information. Interventions using methods such as collaborative learning (CL) and individualistic learning (IL) may be effective in addressing older adults’ low eHealth literacy, but little is known...

Early detection of age-related cognitive decline has transformative potential to advance the scientific understanding of cognitive impairments and possible treatments by identifying relevant participants for clinical trials. Furthermore, early detection is also key to early intervention once effective treatments have been developed. Novel approache...

The United Nations’ theme for the International Day of Older Persons 2021 was “Digital Equity for All Ages”. I define digital equity, then compare progress in North America, focusing on Canada, the USA, and Mexico for internet, smartphone, and broadband access. An age-related digital divide for internet and computer use, first identified in the USA...

Cognitive training has the potential to help older adults maintain or improve their cognitive abilities, but there has been debate regarding how susceptible cognitive outcomes in these studies are to placebo effects. Some previous research has found that expectations can shape performance on study outcomes, although this is not always a consistent...

In December of 2021 and January of 2022, current leaders of Centers on Aging belonging to the GSA Age Directors interest group were invited to fill out a survey inquiring about their backgrounds, training for leadership, and perceived needs for training via an online Qualtrics survey. Thirty-one responses were received though a few responses were m...

The aging of the population is projected to continue for the upcoming decades. Thus, innovative strategies are needed to support current and future cohorts of older adults. In this regard, there are exciting developments in technology that have the potential to meet the needs of population aging. This summary presentation will discuss emerging tech...

Navigation is a complex skill that is used in everyday living, whether it be to travel across a country or to travel to a local store. How one successfully navigates through their environment involves many different processes, including spatial navigation, route generation, and orientation. An issue with investigating those separate constructs with...

As the population ages, the number of older adults experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's disease, and other forms of dementia will increase dramatically over the next few decades. Unfortunately, cognitive changes associated with these conditions threaten independence and quality of life. To address this, researchers have develop...

We know that older adults are less likely to own certain technological devices, such as smartphones, a technology now integral to telehealth. However, for those older adults who do own devices, we know very little about how their devices may differ from those of younger adults. The age of a device can determine the types of programs it can run, as...

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected our day-to-day life in the last few years. This problem becomes even more challenging when older adults are considered due to their less powerful immune system and vulnerability to infectious diseases, especially in Florida where 4.5 million people aged 65 and over reside. With its long coastline, larg...

Adequate adherence is a necessary condition for success with any intervention, including for computerized cognitive training designed to mitigate age-related cognitive decline. Tailored prompting systems offer promise for promoting adherence and facilitating intervention success. However, developing adherence support systems capable of just-in-time...

Subtyping of Alzheimer's disease (AD) can facilitate diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and disease management. It can also support the testing of new prevention and treatment strategies through clinical trials. In this study, we employed spectral clustering to cluster 29,922 AD patients in the OneFlorida Data Trust using their longitudinal EHR data o...

Worldwide population aging and rapid diffusion of digital technology have converged to produce an age-related digital divide in the adoption of technology, as seen in use of the Internet and ownership of smartphones. Given the centrality of these technologies for full participation in modern society, reducing that gap is an important challenge for...

Background and Objectives: Study recruitment and retention of older adults in research studies is a major challenge. Enhancing understanding of individual differences in motivations to participate, and predictors of motivators, can serve the dual aims of facilitating the recruitment and retention of older adults, benefiting study validity, economy,...

Subtyping of Alzheimer's disease (AD) can facilitate diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and disease management. It can also support the testing of new prevention and treatment strategies through clinical trials. In this study, we employed spectral clustering to cluster 29,922 AD patients in the OneFlorida Data Trust using their longitudinal EHR data o...

Research has pointed to the potential of extended reality (XR), including virtual, mixed, and augmented reality, for broadly impactful benefits, including learning, physical activity and health, and psychosocial aspects such as increased empathy and reduced loneliness. More research is needed to evaluate the outcomes of XR in new populations of use...

Digital (consumer) services, such as ticket machines, self-checkout, and online reservations, have become increasingly important in modern society. Studies on adoption of these services and openness to using future public digital services (e.g., online voting, online taxes, electronic patient records) have mostly focused on younger adults or nonrep...

In the present study, we examined three experimental cognitive interventions, two targeted at training general cognitive abilities and one targeted at training specific instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) abilities, along with one active control group to compare benefits of these interventions beyond expectation effects, in a group of ol...

Background and objectives: Numerous longitudinal studies suggest that technology use in late adulthood is associated with cognitive benefits. Using data from a randomized controlled trial, the current study examined whether computer use improves cognition in older adults with little to no previous computer experience. Research design and methods:...

A cognitive intervention study was conducted with the purpose of exploring methods to improve adherence to a technology-based cognitive intervention and uncover individual differences that predict adherence (N = 120). The study was divided into two phases: Phase 1, in which participants were asked to follow a prescribed schedule of training that in...

Objective In the past few months, a large number of clinical studies on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been initiated worldwide to find effective therapeutics, vaccines, and preventive strategies for COVID-19. In this study, we aim to understand the landscape of COVID-19 clinical research and identify the issues that may cause recrui...

I describe the process of FSU becoming an Age-Friendly University (AFU). After hearing a presentation on AFU at the Age Directors meeting at GSA by Joann Montepare in November 2016, I judged that many of the ten principles of an AFU were already in operation at FSU. So, I decided to confer in December with VP for Faculty Development and Advancement...

Cognitive impairment (CI) refers to changes in cognition that result in difficulties remembering, learning new things, concentrating, making decisions important to everyday life, responding to environmental demands, or understanding social cues, and these difficulties can result in disability (limiting one or more major life activities). Existing a...

The massive potential of cognitive training and longitudinal cognitive assessment to detect and prevent age-related cognitive decline and dementia will not be realized unless individuals are willing and able to engage with these protocols for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, similar to other health behaviors, adherence to home-based asses...

Older adults are at greater risk of death and serious injury in transportation crashes which have been increasing in older adult cohorts relative to younger cohorts. Can technology provide a safer road environment? Even if technology can mitigate crash risk, is it acceptable to older road users? We outline the results from several studies that test...

Adherence to health behaviors is often poor, including adherence to at-home technology-based interventions. This study (N=120) explored adherence to a cognitive training intervention delivered via computer tablet, assessed adherence over a 4.5 month period, explored how individual difference factors shaped adherence, and tested the efficacy of mess...

The Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) was founded in 1999 and is funded by the National Institute on Aging (National Institutes of Health; PO1 AG017211). This interdisciplinary team of psychologists and engineers focuses on design and deployment of technology with aging adults. In this panel session, we...

The past few decades have seen a reversal in the trend toward earlier retirement that followed the introduction of public pension systems. Further, workers in the very large baby boom cohort have expressed a strong desire to continue working past traditional retirement ages. Workers, even those in the later decades (e.g., 70s), are choosing to stay...

Using the coincidental timing of a national survey conducted in Japan before and after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, this study reports a rare natural experiment that explored how the experience of a nuclear disaster influenced technology adoption in middle-aged and older adults. We conducted path analyses assessing how technology...

The addition of video game-like elements to non-game activities, known as gamification, holds promise with respect to encouraging engagement with, and adherence to, health behaviors and healthcare interventions. Elements of gamification include the introduction of points systems, leaderboards, achievement badges, stories and themes, rewards, progre...

Technology presents opportunities to optimize whole person wellness and functioning. To understand tech readiness and the potential role of virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to support optimal aging, we surveyed 604 participants from the nationally representative RAND American Life Panel. Participant age ranged from 50-90+, 51.5% were female,...

Extended Reality (XR), which encompasses Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), holds a great deal of promise for improving the health and well-being of older adults. These opportunities include providing rehabilitation, physical exercise, skills training, leisure opportunities, and support for instrumental activities of daily living. Fur...

Objective This study assessed older drivers’ driving behavior when using longitudinal and lateral vehicle warning systems together. Background Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can benefit drivers of all ages. Previous research with younger to middle-aged samples suggests that safety benefits are not necessarily additive with additional AD...

This study examined the impact of use of a computer software application designed specifically for older people known as PRISM—a Personal Reminder Information and Social Management system—which was installed on a computer that was placed in the homes of adults aged 65 to 98 years, who were at risk for social isolation and had minimal or no computer...

Technology can help support the goal of many older adults to live independently, though cognitive, attitudinal, and other barriers often result in a "digital divide" in which older adults use and adopt new technology at a lower rate compared to younger adults. Due to the many potential benefits of technology it is not surprising that interest in to...

Age-related perceptual and cognitive declines are associated with difficulties performing everyday tasks required to remain independent. Encouraging improvements in cognitive abilities have been shown for various short-term interventions but there is little evidence for direct impact on independence. This project compares the effect of broad and di...

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) hold considerable promise for maintaining aging adults’ mobility as they develop impairments in driving skill. Nonetheless, attitudes can be a significant barrier to adoption as has been shown for other technologies. We investigated how different introductions to AV, video with a driver in the front seat, the rear seat, an...

With respect to designing for aging, a great deal of attention has been focused on design to support the performance of important everyday activities such as transportation, healthcare, and work. Design to support leisure activities, however, should not be neglected as these activities can help reduce stress, promote emotional and physical health,...

Older drivers are at disproportionate risk for serious injuries and fatalities in traffic crashes, and US crashes have been rising in recent years. However, cessation of driving can lead to the loss of independence and is a significant risk factor for negative health outcomes such as depression. Technologies such as advanced driver assistance syste...

InnoVenture Weekend at FSU, an AFU member institution, was a joint effort of the Institute for Successful Longevity (ISL), the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, and the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship. ISL worked with the organizing committee to set aging as the theme for the product design and business pitch event. ISL queried its participant...

Work is increasingly being transformed in ways which will have important implications for the capability of older workers to continue to work and to be employable. Employment configurations that emphasize more contingent and part-time remote jobs, the dependence on virtual teams, and knowledge work that relies on converting information from one for...

The term “aging-in-place” has become common in everyday language but what exactly does it mean? People used to think that they would want to continue to live in the family home forever – without ever having to relocate. However, changing norms for mobility and increasing options for living communities are likely going to have an influence. Accordin...

The intersecting trends of population aging and the ubiquitous diffusion of technology, presents opportunities and challenges for older adults, researchers, and system designers. Optimizing technology interactions requires maximizing the fit between aging adults and technology systems. This talk will present a conceptual framework to illustrate the...

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are rapidly being introduced into new vehicles with each new model year, and their incorporation into the driving task stands to benefit drivers of all ages. However, evidence from studies with largely younger samples suggests that there might be attentional issues that arise when dealing with the alerts fr...

Age-related perceptual and cognitive declines are associated with difficulties performing everyday tasks required to remain independent. Encouraging improvements in cognitive abilities have been shown for various short-term interventions (e.g., the ACTIVE trial, digital games, aerobic exercise) but there is little evidence for direct impact on inde...

Background and objectives: There is growing evidence of the benefits of computers for older adults. Yet, adoption rates are lower compared with younger adults. Extant theoretical models of technology acceptance are limited in their application to older adults-studies on which these models are based included a limited sample of older adults or none...

Background and objectives: Regardless of the increased deployment of technologies in everyday living domains, barriers remain that hamper technology adoption by older adults. Understanding barriers to adoption such as individual differences in attitudes toward computers is important to the design of strategies to reduce age-related digital dispari...

Background and Objective As part of the PRISM (Personal Reminder Information & Social Management) randomized field trial, a large group of older adults (N = 150) received a computer system in their home that presented them with the opportunity to play eleven different video games. While researchers have often assessed older adults’ gaming preferenc...

This study examined how age, depressive symptoms, demographic variables, frailty, and health factors jointly influence episodic memory across the lifespan in two large, diverse samples. Hierarchical regression analyses from both samples showed that depressive symptoms negatively impacted episodic memory performance with the effect being more pronou...

Objectives: The current study investigated baseline and longitudinal relationships between memory complaints, depressive symptoms, and cognition in older adults. Method: Using the sample from the Personal Reminder Information and Social Management trial, we generated path models predicting self-rated memory complaints measured by the Memory Func...

The degree to which " brain training " can improve general cognition, resulting in improved performance on tasks dissimilar from the trained tasks (transfer of training), is a controversial topic. Here, we tested the degree to which cognitive training, in the form of gamified training activities that have demonstrated some degree of success in the...

Objectives: Information and communication technology holds promise in terms of providing support and reducing isolation among older adults. We evaluated the impact of a specially designed computer system for older adults, the Personal Reminder Information and Social Management (PRISM) system. Design, setting, and participants: The trial was a mu...

Our objective was to provide empirically supported guidelines and templates for the design of tip cards and other public service transportation materials to educate aging road users on traffic control devices. Task 1 identified relevant theories and data concerning the design of public service materials. We used this literature review to provide gu...

We review recent data and theory about technology adoption and acceptance by older adults, focusing on information and communications technology (ICT), digital gaming, and social networking sites. Representative data in developed countries indicate that older adult cohorts lag in ICT use, including Internet use, despite apparent benefits that some...

In 2014, two groups of scientists published open letters on the efficacy of brain-training interventions, or “brain games,” for improving cognition. The first letter, a consensus statement from an international group of more than 70 scientists, claimed that brain games do not provide a scientifically grounded way to improve cognitive functioning or...

Due to their disproportional representation in fatal crashes, younger and older drivers both stand to benefit from in-vehicle safety technologies, yet little is known about how they value such technologies, or their willingness to adopt them. The current study investigated older (aged 65 and greater; N=49) and younger (ages 18-23; N=40) adults' val...

The personal vehicle is increasingly the preferred mode of travel for aging adults. There are greater numbers of older drivers on the roads driving more miles than ever before, and it is important to be aware of declines that might affect them. Existing technology adoption frameworks are reviewed and relevant issues surrounding older adults’ adopti...

The aim of the PRISM trial was to examine the potential benefits of a Personal Reminder Information and Social Management (PRISM) computer system on the well-being and perceived social support of an older adult sample at risk for social isolation. Participants (N = 300) were randomly assigned to receive the PRISM system, which was designed to suppo...