What does “Internet” mean to us as we age? A multi-task investigation on the conceptualization of the technological domain across generations

Ilenia Falcinelli; Chiara Fini; Claudia Mazzuca; Guido Alessandri; Fabio Alivernini; Roberto Baiocco; Andrea Chirico; Lorenzo Filosa; Tommaso Palombi; Jessica Pistella; Simone Tavolucci; Fabio Lucidi; Anna M. Borghi

Computers in Human Behavior Reports (Dec 2024)

What does “Internet” mean to us as we age? A multi-task investigation on the conceptualization of the technological domain across generations

Ilenia Falcinelli,
Chiara Fini,
Claudia Mazzuca,
Guido Alessandri,
Fabio Alivernini,
Roberto Baiocco,
Andrea Chirico,
Lorenzo Filosa,
Tommaso Palombi,
Jessica Pistella,
Simone Tavolucci,
Fabio Lucidi,
Anna M. Borghi

Affiliations

Ilenia Falcinelli: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Corresponding author. Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Chiara Fini: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Claudia Mazzuca: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Guido Alessandri: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Fabio Alivernini: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Roberto Baiocco: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Andrea Chirico: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Lorenzo Filosa: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Tommaso Palombi: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Jessica Pistella: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Simone Tavolucci: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Fabio Lucidi: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Anna M. Borghi: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 16
p. 100531

Abstract

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Technological progress is increasing rapidly, and keeping up is particularly challenging for older adults. Thus, adapting technological innovations to human needs has become urgent. The first step toward this aim is to understand how people conceptualize technology. Here, we asked 54 younger and 54 older adults to perform a Go/No-Go, a rating, and a feature generation task to investigate the processing and representation of Technological concepts (e.g., “Internet”) compared to Abstract (e.g., “logic”) and Concrete concepts (e.g., “bottle”). Younger adults showed an elaboration advantage for Technological upon Abstract and Concrete concepts. Technological concepts exhibited a hybrid character, but in older adults, they had a more abstract characterization. Finally, the semantic knowledge associated with Technology was differently organized in content across generations and less structurally robust in older adults. Overall, our results highlight how concepts flexibly change across life and can help societal policies to increase awareness in technology-use across generations.

Published in Computers in Human Behavior Reports

ISSN: 2451-9588 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Mathematics: Instruments and machines: Electronic computers. Computer science; Philosophy. Psychology. Religion: Psychology
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/computers-in-human-behavior-reports/

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