A New Tool for Assessing Older Adults' Wireless Network Proficiency: The Wireless Network Proficiency Questionnaire.

Abstract

Interacting with information communication technologies (ICTs) often requires proficiency with wireless networks. For older adults especially, lacking proficiency can lock them out of the many benefits afforded by these devices. In an older adult sample (N = 203), we assessed reliability and validated a set of tools to assess wireless network proficiency: the Wireless Network Proficiency Questionnaire (WNPQ; 19 questions) and a short-form (WNPQ-8; eight questions). The WNPQ and WNPQ-8 were found to be reliable and valid, positively related to computer proficiency (r = .63 for both) and mobile device proficiency (r = .75, r = .74), and negatively related to age (r = -.21, r = -.23). WNPQ scores predicted whether participants could report their Wi-Fi credentials (odd ratio = 1.17-1.73). We conclude that the WNPQ may serve as a useful tool for facilitating wireless network training and assessing proficiency in research.