The oft-repeated adage that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is an unfair generalization. Some older dogs that are capable of learning new tricks might not see the point of doing so. Some might be willing to learn but lack the energy to perform. Some might have vision or hearing problems that impair their ability to understand instructions. Yet people who work with dogs report that many older dogs are eager to learn new tricks (particularly if they are rewarded with a treat) and will gladly perform new tricks that are consistent with their physical abilities.

If it is unfair to old dogs to assume that they can’t learn new tricks, it is even more unjust to apply the adage to humans. Older adults regularly defy the stereotype that seniors cannot learn anything new. Yet society tends to undermine senior achievements by assuring older adults that their brains have lost the capacity to explore unfamiliar territory.

Ageist Stereotypes

The ageist stereotype of older people who can’t keep up with modern life portrays seniors as fearful of new technology or incapable of learning to use it. Research suggests that the stereotype creates a self-fulfilling prophecy when older adults resist adopting new technology for fear that they will confirm the stereotype that they are too old to learn.

Older adults, like older dogs, are individuals. Different people have different interests, learning abilities, and skill levels. Older adults might resist learning how to use a new device because they believe the device won’t improve their lives. They might be comfortable doing things as they have always done them. Resistance to change should not be equated with an inability to change.

Research shows that “older adults can and are eager to learn new technology, as long as they see a need for it and are taught in ways that build confidence rather than exacerbating the stereotypes of technological incompetence.” Many seniors are motivated to learn so they can adapt to a changing world.

Age and Decision Making

A new study supports the belief that “older people have the same ability to make complex decisions as younger people, and they should be neither underestimated nor overprotected when making important choices.” The research suggests that older adults might make more mistakes than younger people as they learn a new task, but that they learn from their mistakes and improve their decision-making. By the end of the learning process, older adults are just as capable as younger people of making decisions required to perform the task.

The study suggests that aging might affect the speed at which information is processed but not the ability to make a good decision based on that information. In other words, it might take people more time to learn new tricks as they age, but once they learn them, age is irrelevant to performance of the newly learned task.

One of the researchers, Maciej Kościelniak, concluded that aging is “not simply a story of decline, but rather one of adaptation.” Older adults may adapt their decision-making strategies based on their life experience. The study thus suggests that “accumulated experience could potentially compensate for declines in fluid cognitive abilities such as speed of processing and working memory.”

Experience may be the key factor that helps seniors modify their learning strategies. Experience improves the ability of seniors to solve problems and to arrive at sound conclusions. Experience teaches older adults how to tune out distractions and negativity. Older adults are also less likely than younger people to make impulsive decisions.

Implications for Families and Friends

Kościelniak argues that family members and friends may feel a need to protect older adults when they make important decisions. While protecting people we care about is a natural instinct, the assumption that an older person is vulnerable and thus requires protection may be unwarranted.

Based on the study, Kościelniak concludes that “older adults often do not need protection from choices, but rather an opportunity and sufficient time to become familiar with new situations.” Family members and friends — and even healthcare workers, lawyers, and investment advisors — may be at risk of infantilizing older adults by assuming that they lack the ability to make sound decisions.

The bottom-line is that stereotypes related to age may cause friends and family to view an older adult as an old dog who can’t learn anything new. In fact, although some older adults (like their younger counterparts) may need some time to process new information, they are often just as capable as younger people of learning and basing sound decisions on the information that they have learned.