Age-related variations in the control of electronic tools

Abstract

Electronic tools, such as a computer mouse, are highly flexible with respect to the visuo-motor transformations they implement. Different from mechanical tools, they lack mechanical transparency. Several studies noted difficulties of older users with computer-mouse operations, but also with more complex visuo-motor transformations as found in laparoscopic surgery. These difficulties may partly result from generalized slowing, but partly also from reduced learning capabilities. We explored the nature of the latter kind of change in a series of experiments.