ABSTRACT
Intcracting with technical environmcnts oftcn challenges uscrs in terms of cognitive and psychomotor requirements. Considering the users ' developmental changes over the lifespan, technical dcvices do often not satisfactorily meet thc demands of children or older adults . Reccnt evidence (c. g . , Sutter and Ziefle, 2006) suggests that these so-callcd age-effects do not originate from age in gcneral, but from a lack of practice in particular. In the present study we focused on fine psychomotor abilities as a further factor that might modulate age effccts . We surveyed twenty eight children and teenagers between 9 and 1 8 years of age . Fine psychomotor abilities were assessed with a standardized motor performance test battery. Then, participants pcrformed point-click and point-drag-drop tasks with either a touchpad or a mini-j oystick. Results showed that fine psychomotor abilities were less matured in children and that this was associatcd with a less efficicnt handling of thc interaction devices compared to the older group. However, taking mouse practice
into account age eiTects disappeared. Dcvelopmental changcs over the lifespan and their implications for an efficient use of interaction devices will be discussed.
