Neuropsychological Aspects of Internet-Based Transit Navigation Skills in Older Adults

Objective: Older adults commonly experience difficulties efficiently searching the Internet, which can adversely affect daily functioning. This study examines the neuropsychological aspects of online transit planning, which can be an essential transportation tool for some older adults. Method: Participants included 50 younger and 40 older adults who completed a neuropsychological battery, questionnaires, and measures of Internet use and skills. Participants used a live transit planning website to complete three inter-related tasks (e.g., map a route from an airport to a specific hotel at a particular time). On a fourth Internet transit task, participants were randomized into either a support condition in which they received brief goal management training for task planning or into a control condition. Results: Older adults were both slower and less accurate than their younger counterparts in completing the first three Internet transit tasks. Within the older adults, Internet transit accuracy showed a medium association with verbal memory, executive functions, and auditory attention, but not visuomotor speed. The pre-task planning support was beneficial for plan development in younger, but not older adults. The planning supports did not impact actual Internet transit task accuracy or time to completion. Conclusions: Older adults experience difficulties quickly and accurately using a transit website to plan transportation routes, which is associated with poorer higher-order neurocognitive functions (e.g., memory). Given the lack of efficacy of planning-based supports among older adults, future work might examine the benefits of established memory strategies (e.g., spaced retrieval practice) for online transit planning.