Collaborative Learning Among Older Married Couples: An Exploratory Study

Collaboration with a married partner has been suggested as a potential strategy to help acquire and retain new skills in older adulthood. Yet, few studies have evaluated how older married couples work together when problem-solving through cognitive-based tasks. The present study involved a usability analysis of the performance and interaction of 40 healthy, community-dwelling older adults, or 20 older married couples, while using an in-vehicle global positioning system (GPS) for the first-time in a laboratory setting. Results suggest that couples utilize different interactive strategies that affect performance. Understanding how older married couples work together could inform strategies that facilitate collaborative learning in older adulthood.