The Age-related Differences in Web Information Search Process
It addresses the problem of older adults' vulnerability to misinformation during health crises like COVID-19, but is incremental as it synthesizes existing studies without new data or methods.
This paper surveys empirical research on age-related differences in web information search processes, focusing on query formulation, search strategies, information evaluation, and susceptibility to misinformation, to build a behavioral profile for older adults and inform system design.
Older adults' need for quality health information has never been more critical as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, they are susceptible to the wide-spread misinformation disseminated through search engines and social media. To build a search-related behavioral profile of older adults, this article surveys the empirical research on age-related differences in query formulation, search strategies, information evaluation, and susceptibility to misinformation effects. It also decomposes the mechanisms (i.e., cognitive changes, development goal shift) and moderators (i.e., search task and interface design) of such differences. To inform the design of information systems to improve older adults' information search experience, we discuss opportunities for future research.