Age-related differences in warning symbol comprehension and training effectiveness: effects of familiarity, complexity, and comprehensibility

Abstract

Age-related changes in selective attention, inhibitory efficiency, and the ability to form new associations suggest that older adults may have greater difficulty with more complex and less comprehensible symbols. We examined comprehension of symbols varying in terms of ratings of familiarity, complexity, and comprehensibility, by younger (aged 18–35) and older (aged 55–70) adults. It was found that older adults have greater difficulty than younger adults in comprehending warning symbols and that accident scenario training improves comprehension. Regression analyses indicated that familiarity and comprehensibility were important in determining performance on the pre-training comprehension test by both younger and older adults. However, training eliminated the effects of stimulus characteristics for younger adults, while older adults' comprehension continued to be significantly influenced by comprehensibility. We suggest that symbol design incorporates cues to knowledge to facilitate the linkage between new knowledge (i.e. the warning symbol) and relevant knowledge in long-term memory.

Statement of Relevance: Symbol characteristics play an important role in age-related differences in warning symbol comprehension. To optimise comprehension by older adults, symbols should have a clear relationship with areal-world referent. Alternatively, symbol design could incorporate cues to knowledge to facilitate the linkage between new knowledge and relevant knowledge in long-term memory.

Keywords:

• warnings
• safety symbols
• ageing
• training

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Angela Garabet for her assistance during the pilot phase of the study; Marvin Dainoff, Yulan Liang, and Glenn Pransky for their comments on earlier versions of this manuscript; and Peg Rothwell for assistance in manuscript preparation.