An Exploratory Study of the Effects of Mild Cognitive Impairment on Elderly Internet Users

by Berkov, Joshua

This study focuses on the effects of Mild Cognitive Impairment and other minor memory impairments on a person’s ability to successfully use the Internet. Participants over sixty-five years of age were recruited from retirement communities and were selected based on self-reports of Mild Cognitive Impairment or other cognitive difficulties when using the Internet. Interviews with the participants focused on their abilities to use Email, Chat/Instant Messenger and the World Wide Web. Participants were then asked to step through several Internet-related tasks in order to further identify problem areas. Seven participants were interviewed, and six of them completed the optional observation session. The data collected from the interviews and observation sessions were then broken down into different categories, based on the type of difficulties experienced during Internet use. Finally, recommendations were made for good Web design practices intended to overcome the difficulties identified during the study.