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AbstractBeyond objective indicators of social status (e.g., income or education), the subjective social status (SSS; i.e., the self-assessed position in a social hierarchy) is associated with psychological well-being and physiological functioning. Existing research has focused on older adults' current status evaluations, neglecting perceived temporal stability or change in SSS which can further impact self-perception and emotional well-being. In the present study, we examined older adults' (N = 191; mean age = 73.5) SSS with regard to their past, present, and future. Examining SSS for multiple time-points allowed us to identify profiles representing trajectories of status from the past to the future by conducting latent profile analysis. Furthermore, we tested associations of the identified trajectory-profiles with aging anxiety and negative affect. Results showed that, on average, participants anticipated higher future status losses than they had experienced in the past, regardless of age. In the more nuanced profile analysis, we identified four trajectory-profiles: A high (17%), a moderate (57%), and a low perceived social status (14%) trajectory, as well as a profile representing a perceived decrease in status (12%). While a lower status was associated with more aging anxiety and negative affect, most aging anxiety and negative affect was found for profiles representing a low initial status-level and a perceived decrease in status. Findings implicate that social status comparisons with others but also status comparisons with past- and future-selves are relevant for older adults. The discussion highlights the benefits of improving or stabilizing subjective assessments of status in later adulthood.

Objective: This study tested whether the ease of learning to use human—machine interfaces of in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) can be assessed at standstill. Background: Assessing the attentional demand of IVIS should include an evaluation of ease of learning, because the use of IVIS at low skill levels may create safety-relevant distractions. Method: Skill acquisition in operating IVIS was quantified by fitting the power law of practice to training data sets collected in a driving study and at standstill. Participants practiced manual destination entry with two route guidance systems differing in cognitive demand. In Experiment 1, a sample of middle-aged participants was trained while steering routes of varying driving demands. In Experiment 2, another sample of middle-aged participants was trained at standstill. Results: In Experiment 1, display glance times were less affected by driving demands than by total task times and decreased at slightly higher speed-up rates (0.02 higher on average) than task times collected at standstill in Experiment 2. The system interface that minimized cognitive demand was operated more quickly and was easier to learn. Its system delays increased static task times, which still predicted 58% of variance in display glance times compared with even 76% for the second system. Conclusion: The ease of learning to use an IVIS interface and the decrease in attentional demand with training can be assessed at standstill. Application: Fitting the power law of practice to static task times yields parameters that predict display glance times while driving, which makes it possible to compare interfaces with regard to ease of learning.