The task is aimed at investigating how older adults represent the environment where they live, with a focus on the natural environment. We aim at examining whether and how their relationship with the natural environment can enhance their cognitive performances, improve their relationship with their own body, and lead to a healthier lifestyle. We aim at designing actions targeted at improving the quality of life of older people through their relationship with nature.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Finalization of the writing of the paper What does "Internet" mean to us as we age? A multi-tasks investigation on the conceptualization of the technological domain across generations. Falcinelli I, Fini C, Mazzuca C, Alessandri G, Alivernini F, Roberto Baiocco R, Chirico A, Filosa L, Palombi T, Pistella J, Tavolucci S, Lucidi F, Borghi AM – to be submitted in May
Poster abstract for Age-IT conference (scheduled in Venice, May 20-22).
Participation in a symposium at the Cogsci conference, Rotterdam, July 24.-27 (participant: A. Borghi)
Accepted poster with paper for the Cogsci conference, Rotterdam, July 24.-27 (Falcinelli et al.)
Abstract for the conference in Neaples, June (participation of Chiara Fini)
Sent abstract for conference in Edinburgh, September 5-7, 2024 (participant: C. Fini)
Accepted abstract for ESCAN, Ghent (participation of Chiara Fini)
Finalizing the recruitment of older adult participants for the database on ecological and technological concepts TECO, version on older adults (database on younger adults is under review)
Finalizing the participants’ recruitment – research on the effects of the natural context on categorization in older and young adults. Tasks: feature production and go-no-go categorization.
Waiting for a decision for the submitted paper Fini et al. Digital Connection, Real Bonding: Brief Online Chats Boost Interpersonal Closeness regardless of the conversational topic
Continuation of the recruitment on a study on how older adults perform online conversations using concepts of different abstractness level, and how this influences perceived distance
Proposal of two special issues on the effects of technology and relationship of the nature across the life span. Accapted by 2 journals, Topoi (for theoretical contributions) and Behavioral and Information Technology.
Review on “green concepts” submitted for publication (Falcinelli et al.) (not focused on older adults but useful as a background)
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Practical implications
Creation of a database on conceptual knowledge of ecological and technological concepts in older adults, to be used by other researchers
Improving awareness in older adults of their knowledge of the ecological and technological domains
Improving awareness of the effects that contact with outdoor and natural contexts can have on cognition and well-being in older adults
Improving awareness of the role that inner speech can play in older adults to master difficult concepts
Potential policy implications:
Results to be used to develop policies to promote healthier lifestyles in open-air contexts
Results of the database and of the experiments to be used as a potential instrument to develop measures to enhance technological awareness of older adults and reduce their possible anxiety toward climate change
Potential industrial implications
Results to be potentially used to design technological systems (e.g., apps, robots, etc.) that enhance and promote contact with the nature and proficient use of technological devices through various methods (including inner speech)
Submission of the paper What does "Internet" mean to us as we age? A multi-tasks investigation on the conceptualization of the technological domain across generations. Falcinelli I, Fini C, Mazzuca C,
Alessandri G, Alivernini F, Roberto Baiocco R, Chirico A, Filosa L, Palombi T, Pistella J, Tavolucci S, Lucidi F, Borghi AM – Paper currently under review at Computers and Human Behavior.
Dissemination: Poster abstract for Age-IT conference presented in Venice, May 20-22.
Dissemination: Invited talk in a symposium at the Cogsci conference, Rotterdam, July 24.-27 (participant: A. Borghi)
Talk presented at the Cogsci conference, Rotterdam, July 24.-27 and paper publication on the Cogsci Proceedings (Mazzuca et al.)
Dissemination: Participation at a conference in Neaples, June (participation of Chiara Fini)
Dissemination: Poster presentation at the AMLap conference (Architectures and Mechanisms for Language Processing) in Edinburgh, September 4-8, 2024 (participant: A.M.Borghi)
Dissemination: talk at ESCAN, Ghent (participation of Chiara Fini)
Finalizing the paper on the database on ecological and technological concepts TECO, version on older adults (database on younger adults has been published)
Writing of the paper on the effects of the natural context on categorization in older and young adults. Tasks: feature production and go-no-go categorization.
Finalizing of a paper on technological concepts representation in younger and older adults for the special issue on TOPOI.
Waiting for a decision for the submitted paper Fini et al. Digital Connection, Real Bonding: Brief Online Chats Boost Interpersonal Closeness regardless of the conversational topic. The paper was resubmitted after a revision.
Continuation of the recruitment on a study on how older adults perform online conversations using concepts of different abstractness levels and how this influences perceived distance
Editing work on the two special issues on the effects of technology and relationship of the nature across the life span, journals Topoi (for theoretical contributions) and Behavioral and Information Technology.
1. Publication of the paper What does "Internet" mean to us as we age? A multi-tasks investigation on the conceptualization of the technological domain across generations. Falcinelli I, Fini C, Mazzuca C, Alessandri G, Alivernini F, Roberto Baiocco R, Chirico A, Filosa L, Palombi T, Pistella J, Tavolucci S, Lucidi F, Borghi AM – Computers and Human Behavior.
2. Finalization of the paper on the database on ecological and technological concepts TECO, version on older adults (database on younger adults has been published)
3. Writing the paper on the effects of the natural context on categorization in older and young adults. Tasks: feature production and go-no-go categorization.
4. Submission of the paper on technological concepts representation in younger and older adults for the special issue on TOPOI. Paper currently under review, to revise.
5. Waiting for a decision on the submitted paper by Fini et al. Digital Connection, Real Bonding: Brief Online Chats Boost Interpersonal Closeness regardless of the conversational topic. The paper was resubmitted after two revisions.
6. Finalization of the recruitment on a study on how older adults perform online conversations using concepts of different abstractness levels and how this influences perceived distance
7. Publication of a review paper on various studies on abstract concepts, including ecological and technological ones. Mazzuca, C.*, Fini, C.*, De Livio, C., Falcinelli, I., Maggio, F., Tummolini, L., Borghi, A.M. (2025). Words As social Tools: A reprise. Physics of Life Reviews, 52, 109-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2024.12.011.
8. Editing work on the two special issues on the effects of technology and relationship of the nature across the life span, journals Topoi (for theoretical contributions) and Behavioral and Information Technology. Submissions are now closed.
Mazzuca, C., Villani, C., Lamarra, T., Bolognesi, M. M., & Borghi, A. (2024). Abstract Sentences elicit more Uncertainty and Curiosity than Concrete Sentences. In Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society (Vol. 46) (pp. 1425-1432). Link
Co-Editing of special issues:
Topoi, “Technology, Nature, and Wellbeing in Contemporary Societies” Editors: Chiara Fini, Anna M. Borghi, Salvatore M. Aglioti, Takahiko Koike, Dimitris Bolis, Vanessa Era
Behaviour & Information Technology, “Social interactions in the Era of Technology” Editors: Chiara Fini, Anna M. Borghi, Salvatore M. Aglioti, Takahiko Koike, Dimitris Bolis, Vanessa Era
Conferences:
C. Fini: Co-Organization with Claudia Mazzuca, Gabriele Fusco, Alessandro Von Gal of: “Open-SITE Workshop for Early Career Researchers on OPEN SCIENCE: Why and How”, 19-06-2024, University of Rome, Sapienza, Rome.
Fini C. et al. What does “Internet” mean to us as we age? A multi-tasks investigation on the conceptualization of the technological domain across generations”, Age.it, Venezia. Italy, 20-05-23
Fini C. et al. “Online exchanges about abstract concepts foster automatic imitation between young conversational partners”, EWIC, Naples, Italy, 15-06-24
Co-Organization with Vanessa Era of Symposium: “Navigating psychosocial stress: understanding its impact and exploring possible pathways to well-being”, ESCAN, 24 May, 2024, Ghent, Belgium
Fini C. et al.; How intrusive thoughts modulate the predisposition to social interaction; 24-05- 2024. ESCAN, Ghent, Belgium [invited].
C. Fini: Co-Organization of Symposium with Vanessa Era: “The dark and the bright side of technological development: a window on the impact on physical, psychological and social wellbeing across the life-span”, Psychonomic Society, 16-18 November 2023, San Francisco, CA
Falcinelli, I., Fini, C., Mazzuca, C., Borghi, A.M. What does "Internet" mean to us as we age? A multi-task study on technological concepts across generations. Poster presented at the AMLaP Conference (Architectures and Mechanisms of Language Processing), Edinburgh, September 2024.
A.M. Borghi: Co-organization of the symposium: The Fundamental Flexibility of Abstract Words, Cogsci 2024 Conference, Dynamics of Cognition, Rotterdam, July 2024.
Talk (invited): Borghi, A.M., Fini, C. & Mazzuca, C.: Abstract words, indeterminacy, and social interaction.