National Academies Press: OpenBook

Technology for Adaptive Aging (2004)

Chapter: Front Matter

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

TECHNOLOGY FOR ADAPTIVE AGING

Steering Committee for the Workshop on Technology for Adaptive Aging

Richard W. Pew and Susan B. Van Hemel, Editors

Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

The study was supported by Contract No. N01-0D-4-02139, T.O. 94 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institutes of Health. The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report and papers are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official NIH position, policy or decision unless so designated by other official documentation.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Workshop on Technology for Adaptive Aging (2003 : Washington, D.C.)

Technology for adaptive aging / Steering Committee for the Workshop on Technology for Adaptive Aging ; Richard W. Pew and Susan B. Van Hemel, editors ; Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.

p. cm.

“The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.”

ISBN 0-309-09116-0 (pbk.)—ISBN 0-309-52923-9 (PDF)

1. Aged—United States—Congresses. 2. Aged—Health and hygiene—United States—Congresses. I. Pew, Richard W. II. Van Hemel, Susan B. III. National Research Council (U.S.). Steering Committee for the Workshop on Technology for Adaptive Aging. IV. National Research Council (U.S.). Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences. V. Title.

HQ1064.U5W654 2003

305.26′0973—dc22

2004001868

Additional copies of this report are available from
National Academies Press,
500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu.

Printed in the United States of America.

Copyright 2004 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2004). Technology for Adaptive Aging. Steering Committee for the Workshop on Technology for Adaptive Aging. Richard W. Pew and Susan B. Van Hemel, editors. Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy′s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THE WORKSHOP ON ADAPTIVE AGING: FROM TECHNOLOGY TO GERONTOLOGY

RICHARD W. PEW (Chair),

BBN Technologies, Cambridge, MA

SCOTT A. BASS, Dean of the Graduate School and Department of Sociology and Public Policy,

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

JOSEPH F. COUGHLIN,

AgeLab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MELISSA A. HARDY,

Gerontology Center and Department of Human Development & Family Studies and Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University

ARTHUR F. KRAMER,

Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

MARTHA E. POLLACK,

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan

WENDY A. ROGERS,

School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology

RICHARD SCHULZ,

University Center for Social and Urban Research and Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh

CHARLES T. SCIALFA,

Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Alberta

THOMAS B. SHERIDAN, emeritus,

Departments of Engineering and Applied Psychology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

SUSAN B. VAN HEMEL, Study Director

JESSICA G. MARTINEZ, Senior Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

BOARD ON BEHAVIORAL, COGNITIVE, AND SENSORY SCIENCES

ANNE C. PETERSEN (Chair),

W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Battle Creek, MI

LINDA MARIE BURTON,

Center for Human Development and Family Research, Pennsylvania State University

STEPHEN J. CECI,

Department of Human Development, Cornell University

EUGENE K. EMORY,

Department of Psychology, Emory University

ROCHEL GELMAN,

Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University

ANTHONY W. JACKSON,

Asia Society, Los Angeles

PETER LENNIE,

Center for Neural Science, New York University

MARCIA C. LINN,

Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley

ELISSA L. NEWPORT,

Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester

MICHAEL L. RUTTER,

Institute of Psychiatry, University of London

ARNOLD SAMEROFF,

Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan

JAMES W. STIGLER,

Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles

WILLIAM A. YOST,

Office of Research and the Graduate School, Loyola University, Chicago

CHRISTINE R. HARTEL, Director

MICHAEL J. FEUER, Executive Board Director

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

Contents

PREFACE

 

ix

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

1

PART I.  STEERING COMMITTEE REPORT

 

 

1

 

Introduction and Overview

 

9

PART II.  OVERVIEW PAPERS

 

 

2

 

Cognitive Aging
K. Warner Schaie

 

43

3

 

Movement Control in the Older Adult
Caroline J. Ketcham and George E. Stelmach

 

64

4

 

Methodological Issues in the Assessment of Technology Use for Older Adults
Christopher Hertzog and Leah Light

 

93

PART III.  DOMAIN-SPECIFIC PAPERS

 

 

5

 

Addressing the Communication Needs of an Aging Society
Susan Kemper and Jose C. Lacal

 

131

6

 

Technology and Employment
Sara J. Czaja and Phyllis Moen

 

150

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

7

 

Everyday Health: Technology for Adaptive Aging
Eric Dishman, Judith Matthews, and Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob

 

179

8

 

Technology and Learning in Current and Future Older Cohorts
Sherry L. Willis

 

209

9

 

The Impact of Technology on Living Environments for Older Adults
Ann Horgas and Gregory Abowd

 

230

10

 

Personal Vehicle Transportation
Joachim Meyer

 

253

APPENDIXES

 

 

A  Workshop Materials

 

283

B  Biographical Sketches

 

291

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

Preface

This volume is the product of work by a steering committee appointed by the National Research Council (NRC) and of 16 workshop paper authors in response to tasking from the sponsor, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) office of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR).

In September 2001, the NRC entered into a contract with the NIA BSR to conduct workshops on applications of technology to the needs of an aging population. The initial plan envisioned two workshops that would bring together experts, first in behavioral sciences and later in technology, to discuss the needs of older Americans today and in the next few decades and to look at current and emerging technologies to see how they might fill some of these needs. The task also included identifying and discussing those factors in society and the economy that might act as facilitators or barriers to the development, marketing, or use of technological solutions.

BSR saw the workshops as one means of addressing some concerns about federal programs intended to foster the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the marketplace. They were especially interested in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which provides grants and contracts to small businesses for product and services research and development with the goal of having the private sector complete the development process and bring the products or services to market. For several years the NIA, like other federal agencies with significant extramural research programs, has been required to set aside a percentage of research funding for SBIR and related programs, but the programs at NIA have been less successful than desired in meeting their goals, judging by available outcome measures. The workshop project was intended to help NIA obtain a better return on their SBIR investments by identifying prom-

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

ising areas of technology that could be developed for application to the needs of the older population.

The NRC assembled a steering committee of 10 experts in various subject areas related to the science of aging and the potential applications of technology to the problems and needs of older Americans. The steering committee then selected the experts to participate in the workshop and write the papers presented in this volume. (Biographical sketches of the steering committee members are included in Appendix B.)

WORKSHOP PLANNING

At its first meeting in May 2002, the steering committee decided to combine the originally proposed two 1-day workshops into a single 2-day event. The steering committee selected two overview topics and six major “life domains” to be addressed. The overview topics were changes with aging, and methodology and measurement issues, designed to avoid the need for specific topic authors to address these generic areas. The life domains selected for the workshop were communication, employment, health, learning, living environments, and transportation.

For each topic, the steering committee decided to select a team of two authors. For changes with aging, one author was to deal with cognitive, sensory, and attentional changes and the other with perceptual-motor and related changes. In the end these two topics were addressed in separate papers. The authors for methodology and measurement issues were to be experts in the research issues of measurement, techniques of data collection, research design, and data analysis, with particular emphasis on research with older adults and studies of change. (Biographical sketches of the workshop authors are included in Appendix B.)

For each of the six life domains, one author would have special expertise in the behavioral and social characteristics of the older population in that domain, and the other would have more knowledge of technology as applied to that domain. A steering committee member was assigned responsibility for each topic to serve as liaison with the steering committee, to foster cooperation between authors, and to provide critical feedback as the work progressed.

The steering committee was responsible for the selection of authors and for the topic statements that provided the charge to each pair of authors. By the fall of 2002 authors were under contract and developing outlines for all of the papers. The steering committee reviewed all outlines received and provided feedback to the authors through their liaisons. First drafts of many papers and presentations were received in time to provide feedback before the workshop.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

Two primary authors (George Stelmach and Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob) chose to add additional co-authors. Four of the original authors were unable to complete their assignments, but we would like to acknowledge their contributions to the workshop. The late Patricia Waller had agreed to be an author of the transportation paper but was forced to withdraw because of her final illness. We greatly regret her loss, both for this project and for the transportation research community. Joachim Meyer kindly agreed to replace Dr. Waller as author. Brian Repa delivered the presentation on transportation at the workshop and contributed ideas to the paper, but is not an author of the final paper. In the case of the learning paper, both Sherry Willis and James Sullivan presented at the workshop, with input from Gerhard Fischer, but Drs. Sullivan and Fischer were unable to participate in the completion and revisions of the paper.

THE WORKSHOP

The workshop was held on January 23 and 24, 2003, at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. Steering committee liaisons served as discussants for the papers, along with two outside discussants invited to address economic factors related to the health and employment topics. In addition to the presenters and the steering committee, there were approximately 40-50 attendees over the course of the two days. (The guests who registered and attended are listed in Appendix A.) These included government personnel, researchers, business people, members of the caregiving professions, representatives of advocacy and service organizations, and others. Interesting issues were raised in discussion sessions, and many attendees praised the workshop for bringing together people from disciplines and interest groups that seldom communicate with each other, thereby raising awareness of the opportunities for cooperation.

Part I of this volume is the report of the steering committee, based on the workshop papers and discussion and on its own deliberations. Parts II and III present revised and edited versions of the papers presented at the workshop.

The committee would like to acknowledge the contributions of a number of people who helped us to complete the work reported here. In addition to the steering committee members who served as discussants at the workshop, Jonathan Skinner and Joseph Quinn served as invited discussants for the Health and Employment papers, respectively. We are grateful for their participation and for the insights they contributed. We wish to thank Richard Suzman, our sponsor, and his staff at the NIA BSR program office for their guidance and assistance, especially in the planning of the workshop. At the NRC, Susan B. Van Hemel was the study director for this project. Special thanks are due to Christine Hartel, director of the

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, for her guidance and support, to Elaine McGarraugh and Christine McShane for editing the manuscript, and to Jessica Gonzalez Martinez, our dedicated project assistant. Wendy Keenan and Deborah Johnson also provided invaluable help with the January 2003 workshop.

Part I, the steering committee′s report of the workshop, has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the Report Review Committee of the NRC. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. Parts II and III, the workshop papers, were reviewed by the steering committee. Their authors are responsible for their content.

We thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of Part I of this report: Laura L. Carstensen, Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Lona H. Choi, Spry Foundation, Washington, DC, James L. Fozard, Florida Gerontological Research and Training Services, Palm Harbor, FL, Daryle Gardner-Bonneau, Bonneau and Associates, Portage, MI, Denise G. Park, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the document, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by William Howell of Arizona State University. Appointed by the NRC, he was responsible for making sure that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all reviewers′ comments were considered carefully. Responsibility for the final content of this report, however, rests entirely with the authors and the institution.

Richard W. Pew, Chair

Steering Committee for the Workshop on Technology for Adaptive Aging

Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×


TECHNOLOGY FOR ADAPTIVE AGING

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R1
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R2
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R3
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R4
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R5
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R6
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R7
Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R8
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R9
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R10
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R11
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R12
Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R13
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2004. Technology for Adaptive Aging. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10857.
×
Page R14
Next: Executive Summary »
Technology for Adaptive Aging Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $67.00 Buy Ebook | $54.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

Emerging and currently available technologies offer great promise for helping older adults, even those without serious disabilities, to live healthy, comfortable, and productive lives. What technologies offer the most potential benefit? What challenges must be overcome, what problems must be solved, for this promise to be fulfilled? How can federal agencies like the National Institute on Aging best use their resources to support the translation from laboratory findings to useful, marketable products and services?

Technology for Adaptive Aging is the product of a workshop that brought together distinguished experts in aging research and in technology to discuss applications of technology to communication, education and learning, employment, health, living environments, and transportation for older adults. It includes all of the workshop papers and the report of the committee that organized the workshop. The committee report synthesizes and evaluates the points made in the workshop papers and recommends priorities for federal support of translational research in technology for older adults.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!