OPTIMIZING THE USABILITY OF AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINES FOR OLDER ADULTS

This research provides relevant information for the redesign of automa ted teller machines (ATMs) to better accommodate older adults, with ho pes of aiding financial institutions in their trend toward a tellerles s bank. Forty subjects, ranging from 18 to 65 years of age, interacted with three different ATM simulations. The level of detail was little, high and little with on screen help available. The font color was var ied: red, green, or white with each participant. Font color and level of detail were investigated to determine preferences of younger and ol der adults. The preferred level of detail was found to vary by sex and age. A majority of the subjects, approximately 53%, favored the simul ation with the optional help button which accommodated both first time and frequent ATM users. There were no significant interactions betwee n age, sex, and color. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.