*2.2.2 Attitudes and change*

*Models and Technologies for Smart, Sustainable and Safe Transportation Systems*

practice and training in older people [25, 26].

mitigate such issues, covered later in this chapter.

*2.1.5 Summary of cognitive changes with age*

visual field but not by age.

**2.2 What else changes?**

*2.2.1 Personality*

learn to compensate for this, for example by keeping to simple or more habituated tasks that require fewer or lower inhibitory responses and which appear to be unaffected by ageing [20, 21]. Increased amounts of or new travel-relevant information would mean that processing may be problematic if it interferes with the existing information travellers hold in their memories about the trip (see for example [22–24]); additional information could only be of value in this situation if precisely targeted at the person and the specific journey, and not adding too much new information to process. However older people are very able to maintain sustained attention, so tasks that require this but not divided attention may be relatively age-neutral, and in any event even divided attention tasks may be improved with

Age-related changes may disadvantage older people in an increasingly screen and button-based world [23]. The over 70s in particular exhibit difficulties with touch screen interfaces and the navigation logic of applications [27]. Too much information can present anybody with a processing dilemma, particularly older people; for example over-complex display systems of travel information, either at sites or on mobile apps, may present them with something they struggle to deal with and thus avoid. So there is the problem that any declines in cognitive processing could lead to reduced or no use of new technology, which in turn leads to exclusion of older people. There are many recommendations that can alleviate or at least

In summary, older people can be slower to respond, can have reductions in working memory capacity and computing span, problems switching attention, decline in visual field; episodic and autobiographical memories decrease most and aids for retrieval are needed; there is difficulty in moving onto new topics as inhibitory mechanisms cling to previous topic; less attention focus especially when tasks increase in number; situation awareness is worse with age; slower navigation skills. Memory is also negatively affected by emotion or stress but is improved by enriched environments. There are real reductions in every decade, although a steeper decline between 70 and 80; in contrast, vocabulary and knowledge-related measures rise slightly with age right up to 70 and then level off, and age makes no difference to recognition [3]. The plasticity of the brain, functional reorganization and compensatory increases in frontal lobe activation mean that the brain can change throughout life and there is evidence that these can be encouraged by interventions so many of these changes can be influenced for the better. There are problem of early undiagnosed pathological ageing diseases, affect working memory. Restricting insurance policies etc. should be done on the basis of testing

The psychological factors and traits that decline/change with age include risk

In terms of personality, there is no evidence of changes beyond the age of 30, but it must be said that the age period 16–30 is one of change in most psychological factors and indeed is associated with changes in the brain and hormones. A relevant

taking, risk awareness, motivation, personality and resistance to change.

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More negative attitudes towards computers by older people are related to perception of less comfort, efficacy and control, all of which have been shown to be improved by increased experience [30]. In addition, the literature on change and change management points to low trust, perceived lack of competence, poor communications, not understanding the need for change, exhaustion/saturation and changing the status quo [away from habituated behaviours] as all being culpable. When people are asked to articulate their reasons for resistance, risks outweigh the benefits, they do not have the ability to change, perceive that things will be made more difficult, not meeting their needs and so on are all cited [31]. Many of these issues are relevant to the unwillingness of older people to engage with new technology.
