Abstract
Mobile device (e.g., smartphone) proficiency is becoming increasingly necessary to perform important everyday tasks, and inadequate proficiency can prevent groups of individuals such as older adults from obtaining the benefits of mobile computing and smartphone utilization. To facilitate mobile device training and research on barriers to mobile device use and adoption by older adults, Roque and Boot [1] developed the Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire (MDPQ). The current study is the first to assess the validity of the MDPQ based on confirmatory factor analysis and objective measures of their smartphone skills. In addition, it represents the first attempt to validate the MDPQ on a sample of older smartphone users. Results suggest that modifications may be necessary for the MDPQ to serve as a valid and reliable measure of proficiency among older adult smartphone users. In this sense, four important implications and recommendations for application of the MDPQ are discussed that could promote the general goal of ensuring that individuals of all ages can benefit from the use of smartphone devices and services such as mobile apps.
Highlights
Digital skills are becoming increasingly necessary to perform important everyday tasks
With the expanding prominence of mobile computing a distinct set of abilities referred to as mobile device proficiency has emerged that allow individuals to effectively cope with ubiquitous services such as mobile apps [4]
confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire (MDPQ)-46 yielded an improper factorial solution; the problem persisted even when items with low variability were excluded from the model
Summary
Digital skills are becoming increasingly necessary to perform important everyday tasks. It would be advantageous to be able to quickly and assess an individual’s level of mobile device proficiency, especially for older adults who are more variable in their skills, and who might benefit most from innovative services. In the context of training a new medication management app, instruction on how to turn a smartphone on and off would be of little use, and frustrating to receive, for a proficient older adult. This same instruction might be vital to the success of an older adult with minimal proficiency. Quick, easy, reliable, and valid measures of digital skills and proficiency have the potential to advance conceptual models of technology acceptance by allowing large datasets to be collected on proficiency, along with other measures, to understand facilitators of, and barriers to, technology proficiency [4], [23]
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