They were intensely focused on getting the perpetrator following a crime, and didn't want to waste time. They want to get to the facts and get going. Teaching elder adults today requires sensitivity to how these adults think and respond. Many elder adults are highly self-motivated. They desire to learn, and feel there is much they can do with the knowledge they acquire.
Many elder adults are intensely left-brained and rational thinkers.
They respond better to reason than perception. Most grew up in educational environments that used lecture, memorization, and drills to learn. This is the generation that won a world war and placed a man on the moon. They are problem-solvers and team workers. They enjoy using reason and inquiry to gather information for analyzing and solving problems.