Search Strategies Used by Older Adults in a Virtual Reality Place Learning Task

Purpose of the study: Older adults often have problems finding their way in novel environments such as senior living residences and hospitals. The purpose of this study was to examine the types of self-reported search strategies and cues that older adults use to find their way in a virtual maze Design and Methods: Healthy, independently living older adults (n = 129) aged 55–96 were tested in a virtual maze task over a period of 3 days in which they had to repeatedly find their way to a specified goal. They were interviewed about their strategies on days 1 and 3. Content analysis was used to identify the strategies and cues described by the participants in order to find their way. Strategies and cues used were compared among groups. Results: The participants reported the use of multiple spatial and non-spatial strategies, and some of the strategies differed among age groups and over time. The oldest age group was less likely to use strategies such as triangulation and distance strategies. All participants used visual landmarks to find their way, but the use of geometric cues (corners) was used less by the older participants. Implications: These findings add to the theoretical understanding of how older adults find their way in complex environments. The understanding of how wayfinding changes with age is essential in order to design more supportive environments

Creating the Tradition of Honoring the Older Population

This qualitative research study explored what it would take to create the tradition of honoring the older population in American culture. In this exploratory study, 15 participants were interviewed in person using a series of ten open ended questions. The participants were selected according to the criteria of being an older adult, working with or volunteering for older adults, or having been involved in a project which considered the older population as a subgroup within the total population. The participants were personally invited by the researcher to be interviewed and the interview took approximately 40 minutes. Results indicated that creating the tradition of honoring the older population in American culture would require a change on every individual’s part as well as a social revolution. Findings also indicated that the changes were needed not only on the part of society but also on the part of the older population. As society provides opportunities for the older population to be honored, the older population needs to understand and accept what it means to be honored