Walter Boot
check Not recruiting a graduate student for Fall of 2024
Education
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007
Research Interests
My research focuses on the potential of technology to support the wellbeing, independence, and quality of life of older people with and without cognitive impairments (mild cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury, post-stroke cognitive impairment). Technology solutions investigated include tablets, smartphones, voice assistants, artificial intelligence applications, and virtual reality.
Current Research
Recent research within the Boot lab aims to understand the potential of virtual reality (VR) to support social and cognitive engagement among older adults with and without cognitive impairments. For the Adherence Promotion with Person-centered Technology (APPT) Project, the aims are to promote early detection and treatment of age-related cognitive decline and dementia through the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based reminder systems to help ensure long-term engagement with home-based cognitive assessment and cognitive training protocols. Projects that are part of the ENHANCE (Enhancing Neurocognitive Health, Abilities, Networks, & Community Engagement) center aim to understand the challenges older adults experiencing disability as a result of cognitive impairment encounter with living activities, how these vary according to type of cognitive impairment, and needed areas of and preferences for support; identify, develop, and evaluate potential technology solutions; disseminate findings to multiple stakeholders; and advance new knowledge in the aging, cognitive disability, and technology space.
Lab Description
Boot’s lab, as part of the CREATE and ENHANCE centers, focuses on designing technology solutions to support the wellbeing, independence, and quality of life of older people with and without cognitive impairments (mild cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury, post-stroke cognitive impairment). Technologies include tablets, smartphones, voice assistants, artificial intelligence applications, and virtual reality. Additional projects include investigating the potential of smart reminder systems to boost adherence to technology-based interventions.
Boot, W., Charness, N., Czaja, S., Rogers, W. (2020). Designing for Older Adults: Case Studies, Methods, and Tools. Boca Raton: CRC Press, https://doi.org/10.1201/b22187
Boot, W. R., Andringa, R., Harrell, E. R., Dieciuc, M. A., & Roque, N. A. (2019). Older adults and video gaming for leisure: Lessons from the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE). Gerontechnology, 12(2), 138-146. https://journal.gerontechnology.org/archives/8bdc871e07cc4960aa6d9157735c2f47.pdf
Charness, N., & Boot, W. R. (2022). A Grand Challenge for Psychology: Reducing the Age-Related Digital Divide. Current Directions in Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721421106814444
Czaja, S. J., Boot, W. R., Charness, N., & Rogers, W. A. (2019). Designing for older adults: Principles and creative human factors approaches (3rd Edition). Boca Raton: CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/b22189
Dilanchian, A. T., Andringa, R., & Boot, W. R. (2021). A pilot study exploring age differences in presence, workload, and cybersickness in the experience of immersive virtual reality environments. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 129. https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2021.736793
Harrell, E. R., Roque, N. A., Boot, W. R., & Charness, N. (2021). Investigating message framing to improve adherence to technology-based cognitive interventions. Psychology and Aging. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000629
Kalantari, S., Bill Xu, T., Mostafavi, A., Lee, A., Barankevich, R., Boot, W. R., & Czaja, S. J. (2022). Using a nature-based virtual reality environment for omproving mood states and cognitive engagement in older adults: A mixed-method feasibility study. Innovation in Aging, 6(3), igac015. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igac015
Gray, N., Yoon, J.-S., Charness, N., Boot, W. R., Roque, N. A., Andringa, R., Harrell, E. R., Lewis, K. G., & Vitale, T. (2022). Relative effectiveness of general versus specific cognitive training for aging adults. Psychology and Aging, 37 (2), 210-221. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000663
Roque, N. A., & Boot, W. R. (2018). A new tool for assessing mobile device proficiency in older adults: the mobile device proficiency questionnaire. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 37(2), 131-156. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464816642582
Zhang, S., Boot, W. R., & Charness, N. (2021). Does Computer Use Improve Older Adults’ Cognitive Functioning? Evidence From the Personal Reminder Information and Social Management Trial. The Gerontologist. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnab188
Undergraduate Research
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