Do younger and older adults differentially depend on an automated system?

Various factors, including trust, system reliability, and error type have been found to affect how people interact with automated systems. Another variable that is becoming increasingly important is the role of age in human-automation interaction. As automation continues to emerge in numerous domains, including the home, older adults will likely interact with these types of systems to a greater extent than ever before. Therefore, understanding if age-related changes in cognition, such as diminished working memory capacity or processing speed, affect how older adults use automated systems is critical to ensure these systems are designed and implemented effectively. This study examined the role of age in a simulated dual task environment using an automated aid. Younger adults outperformed older adults in both tasks. When the automation was incorrect, younger adults exhibited less dependence than older adults. Further, when older adults verified the automation's suggestion, they took significantly more time to do so than younger adults. Additionally, older adults reported greater trust in the automation and higher workload compared to younger adults.