In this volume, acknowledged experts present state-of-the-art reviews and empirical data on how aging affects personal communication, and how technology can contribute to improving communication efficacy. Chapters are divided into three sections. The first section provides a basic overview of issues in this field. The second section deals with socio-cultural issues. The final section addresses issues around training and compensation. The volume contains new research on heretofore unexplored areas within the field of aging, such as: computer use and design, internet use, and computer literacy. It is useful for gerontologists, psychologists, and other professionals interested in aging.

Author Biography

Neil Charness, PhD, received his BA (1969) in Psychology from McGill University, and his MS (1971) and PhD (1974) in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University. He was an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University (1974-1977) and a Professor of Psychology and Gerontology at the University of Waterloo (1977-1994). He is currently a Professor of Psychology at the Florida State University, and a Research Associate at the Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy. His current research interests focus on the topics of aging and expert performance across the life span, and age and human factors as related to technology use. He has held grants concerned with these topics from the National Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Aging Research Network (Canada), the DAAD (Germany), the Retirement Research Foundation (USA), and the National Institute on Aging (USA). He is a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association, The American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and the Gerontological Society of America.