Seniors and Technology: can cognitive age and life events explain the gaps?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7433/s119.2022.03Keywords:
aging population; Silver segment; life-event; cognitive age; technology; cluster analysisAbstract
Purpose of the paper: this paper aims to identify good descriptors of the differences across the Silver segment particularly suitable for technology use. Specifically, cognitive age and life-event are compared to demographic age.
Methodology: a field survey was conducted, and three cluster analysis were performed to reach three different segmentations: cohort, cognitive-age and life-event based segmentations.
Findings: the conducted cluster analysis highlights multifaceted consumption trends also in relation to technology, both in the case of using cognitive age as a segmentation criterion and in the case of appealing to lived events.
Research limits: although alternative segmentation parameters to the chronological age were examined, to test their validity, these criteria were used separately, while the analysis of a complex group like Silvers would require a multidimensional approach.
Practical implications: our study supplies important operational indications to managers who need to understand the different consumption trends and dynamics of the use of technology by Silver consumers in order to define suited offers of products and/or services. Facilitating the use of technology by the Silver segment also has interesting implications in terms of social and economic impact.
Originality of the paper: although many have highlighted the need to identify effective criteria for the segmentation of such a heterogeneous target in terms of expressed needs, there are currently few studies in this field, especially concerning the use of technology.
References
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Stephens N. (1991), “Cognitive Age: A Useful Concept for Advertising?”, Journal of Advertising, vol. 20, n. 4, pp. 37-48.
Szmigin I., Carrigan M. (2000), “The Older Consumer as Innovator: Does Cognitive Age hold the Key?”, Journal of Marketing Management, vol. 16, pp. 505-527.
Van Auken S., Barry T.E. (1995), “An Assessment of the Trait Validity of Cognitive Age Measures”, Journal of Consumer Psychology, vol. 4, n. 2, pp. 107-132.
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Vincent J.A. (2006), “Ageing Contested: Anti-ageing Science and the Cultural Construction of Old Age”, Sociology, vol. 40, n. 4, pp. 681-698.
Vincent J. (2013), “The anti-aging movement”, In Ethics, health policy and (anti-) aging: Mixed blessings, Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 29-40.
Vincent J.A., Tulle E., Bond J. (2008), “The anti-ageing enterprise: Science, knowledge, expertise, rhetoric and values”, Journal of Aging Studies, vol. 22, pp. 291-294.
Wang A., Redington L., Steinmetz V., Lindeman D. (2011), “The ADOPT model: Accelerating diffusion of proven technologies for older adults”, Ageing International, vol. 36, n. 1, pp. 29-45.
Zniva R., Weitzl W. (2016), “It’s not how old you are but how you are old: A review on aging and consumer behavior”, Management Review Quarterly, vol. 66, n. 4, pp. 267–297.
Zsarnoczky M. (2016), The new hope for the EU–Silver Economy. Building bridges: cities and regions in a transnational world, Graz: RSA.
Barak B., Schiffman L.G. (1981), Cognitive age: A nonchronological age variable. ACR North American Advances.
Barawitzka M., Oggioni E., Rosina A. (2020), Silver Economy - Technology and Ageing. Osservatorio Senior.
Charness N., Boot W.R. (2009), “Aging and information technology use: Potential and barriers”, Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 18, n. 5, pp. 253-258.
Dogruel L., Joeckel S., Bowman N.D. (2015), “The use and acceptance of new media entertainment technology by elderly users: Development of an expanded technology acceptance model”, Behaviour & Information Technology, vol. 34, n. 11, pp. 1052-1063.
Euromonitor International (2015), Challenges and Opportunities in Targeting the Senior Consumer.
European Commission, Ipsos (2021), Consumer Market Monitoring Survey.
Goldsmith T.C. (2014), The Evolution of Aging – How New Theories Will Change the Future of Medicine, Crownsville, Azinet Press.
Gwinner K.P., Stephens N. (2001), “Testing the Implied Mediational Role of Cognitive Age”, Psychology & Marketing, vol. 18, n. 10, pp. 1031-1048.
Heinz M., Martin P., Margrett J.A., Yearns M., Franke W., Yang H.I., Chang C.K. (2013), “Perceptions of technology among older adults”, Journal of Gerontological Nursing, vol. 39, n. 1, pp. 42-51.
Henrard J.C. (2006), “Aging and old age: Ideas received, new ideas”, Santé, Société et Solidarité, vol. 1, pp. 13-15.
Hermann S., Soraghan C., Boyle G. (2012), Universal design and technology for older people: a survey tool for assessing technology design for older people, in-situ, in an Irish context.
Hettich D., Hattula S., Bornemann T. (2018), “Consumer Decision-Making of Older People: A 45-Year Review”, Gerontologist, vol. 58, n. 6, pp. E349-E368.
Jin K. (2010). Modern biological theories of aging. Aging and disease, 1(2), 72.
Kampmeijer R., Pavlova M., Tambor M., Golinowska S., Groot W. (2016), “The use of e-health and m-health tools in health promotion and primary prevention among older adults: a systematic literature review”, BMC Health Service Research, vol. Sep 5, n. 16.
Kohlbacher F., Chéron E. (2012), “Understanding “Silver” consumers through cognitive age, health condition, financial status, and personal values: Empirical evidence from the world’s most mature market Japan”, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, vol. 11, n. 3, pp. 179-188.
Kohlbacher F., Hang C.C. (2011), “Applying the disruptive innovation framework to the Silver market”, Ageing international, vol. 36, n. 1, pp. 82-101.
Kohlbacher F., Herstatt C. (2016), “Silver product development: The concept of autonomy as the common denominator in innovations for older users”, Gerontechnology: Research, practice, and principles in the field of technology and aging, pp. 429-446.
Kohlbacher F., Gudorf P., Herstatt C. (2011), “Japan’s growing Silver market–An attractive business opportunity for foreign companies?”, in From Grey to Silver, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp. 189-205.
Kuppelwieser V.G., Klaus P. (2021), “Revisiting the Age Construct: Implications for Service Research”, Journal of Service Research, vol. 24, n. 3, pp. 372-389.
Grossman S., Lange J. (2006), “Theories of Aging As Basis for Assessment”, Medsurg Nursing, vol. 15, n. 2.
Lee C., Coughlin J.F. (2015), “Perspective: Older adults’ adoption of technology: an integrated approach to identifying determinants and barriers”, Journal of Product Innovation Management, vol. 32, n. 5, pp. 747-759.
Mathur A., Lee E., Moschis G.P. (2005), “Life-changing events and marketing opportunities”, Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing, vol. 14, n. 2, pp. 115-128.
Moschis G.P. (1994), “Consumer Behavior in Later Life: Multidisciplinary Contributions and Implications for Research”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 22, n. 3, pp. 195-204.
Moschis G.P. (2007), “Life course perspectives on consumer behavior”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 35, pp. 295-307.
Moschis G.P. (2012), “Consumer Behavior in Later Life: Current Knowledge, Issues, and New Directions for Research”. Psychology & Marketing, vol. 39, n. 2, pp. 57-75.
Moschis G.P. (2019), Consumer Behavior over the Life Course – Research Frontiers and New Directions, Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham.
Neugarten B.L. (1974), “Age groups in American society and the rise of the young-old”, The annals of the American academy of political and social science, vol. 415, n. 1, pp. 187-198.
Ng T.W.H., Feldman D.C. (2012), “Evaluating six common stereotypes about older workers with meta-analytical data”, Personnel Psychology, vol. 65, pp. 821-858.
Nikou S. (2015), “Mobile technology and forgotten consumers: the young‐elderly”, International Journal of Consumer Studies, vol. 39, n. 4, pp. 294-304.
Noble S.M., Schewe C.D. (2003), “Cohort segmentation: An exploration of its validity”, Journal of Business Research, vol. 56, n. 12, pp. 979-987.
Peine A., Rollwagen I., Neven L. (2014), “The rise of the “innosumer”—Rethinking older technology users”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, vol. 82, pp. 199-214.
Da Costa J.P., Vitorino R., Silva G.M., Vogel C., Duarte A.C., Rocha-Santos T. (2016), “A synopsis on aging—Theories, mechanisms and future prospects”, Ageing Research Reviews, vol. 29, pp. 90-112.
Pivotal Research (2019), Older Adults Needs Assessment. Highlight Report.
Reisenwitz T., Iyer R. (2007), “A comparison of younger and older baby boomers: investigating the viability of cohort segmentation”, Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 24, n. 4, pp. 202-213.
Ryder N.B. (1985), “The cohort as a concept in the study of social change”, In Cohort analysis in social research, Springer, New York, NY, pp. 9-44.
Schewe C.D., Meredith G.E. (1994), “Digging deep to delight the mature adult consumer”, Marketing Management, vol. 3, n. 3, pp. 20.
Stephens N. (1991), “Cognitive Age: A Useful Concept for Advertising?”, Journal of Advertising, vol. 20, n. 4, pp. 37-48.
Szmigin I., Carrigan M. (2000), “The Older Consumer as Innovator: Does Cognitive Age hold the Key?”, Journal of Marketing Management, vol. 16, pp. 505-527.
Van Auken S., Barry T.E. (1995), “An Assessment of the Trait Validity of Cognitive Age Measures”, Journal of Consumer Psychology, vol. 4, n. 2, pp. 107-132.
Venkatesh V., Morris M.G., Davis G.B., Davis F.D. (2003), “User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view”, MIS quarterly, pp. 425-478.
Vincent J.A. (2006), “Ageing Contested: Anti-ageing Science and the Cultural Construction of Old Age”, Sociology, vol. 40, n. 4, pp. 681-698.
Vincent J. (2013), “The anti-aging movement”, In Ethics, health policy and (anti-) aging: Mixed blessings, Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 29-40.
Vincent J.A., Tulle E., Bond J. (2008), “The anti-ageing enterprise: Science, knowledge, expertise, rhetoric and values”, Journal of Aging Studies, vol. 22, pp. 291-294.
Wang A., Redington L., Steinmetz V., Lindeman D. (2011), “The ADOPT model: Accelerating diffusion of proven technologies for older adults”, Ageing International, vol. 36, n. 1, pp. 29-45.
Zniva R., Weitzl W. (2016), “It’s not how old you are but how you are old: A review on aging and consumer behavior”, Management Review Quarterly, vol. 66, n. 4, pp. 267–297.
Zsarnoczky M. (2016), The new hope for the EU–Silver Economy. Building bridges: cities and regions in a transnational world, Graz: RSA.
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2022-12-29
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