AUTHOR=Ford Jaclyn H. , Daley Ryan T. , Kensinger Elizabeth A. 

TITLE=The benefits of socioemotional learning strategies and video formats for older digital immigrants learning a novel smartphone application

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging

VOLUME=Volume 5 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging/articles/10.3389/fragi.2024.1416139

DOI=10.3389/fragi.2024.1416139

ISSN=2673-6217

ABSTRACT=The need to continually learn and adjust to new technology can be an arduous demand, particularly for older adults who did not grow up with digital technology (“older digital immigrants” or ODIs). This study tests the efficacy of socioemotional learning strategies (i.e., encoding information in a socially- or emotionally-meaningful way) for ODIs learning a new software application from an instructional video (Experiment 1) or a written manual (Experiment 2). An experiment-by-condition effect was identified, where memory was greatest for participants engaging socioemotional learning strategies while learning from a video, suggesting a synergistic effect of these manipulations. These findings serve as a first step toward identifying and implementing an optimal learning context for ODIs to learn new technologies in everyday life.