Age differences in efficiency of reading comprehension from printed versus computer-displayed text

Computer technology has become a tremendous aid in examining the aging process as it relates to reading by allowing researchers to measure and control processing time. But is the computer a passive player in the study of reading and aging? Are we overlooking interactions between computers and participants using them? This study compared two types of computer presentation (investigator-paced and self-paced by the reader) to reading from the printed page. Older adults were most efficient in their reading comprehension when reading from the printed page, while young adults were most efficient from computer-paced text. Although reading is a highly practiced skill for both young and old adults, the computer method of presentation is much less familiar to old adults. An overestimation of age differences with misleading findings may occur if computers are routinely used to study age differences in reading co mprehension.