Effects of Attentional Focus and Age on Suprapostural Task Performance and Postural Control

Autor/inn/en	McNevin, Nancy; Weir, Patricia; Quinn, Tiffany
Titel	Effects of Attentional Focus and Age on Suprapostural Task Performance and Postural Control
Quelle	In: Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 84 (2013) 1, S.96-103 (8 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0270-1367
DOI	10.1080/02701367.2013.762321
Schlagwörter	Human Posture; Attention; Age Differences; Young Adults; College Students; Older Adults; Accuracy; Foreign Countries; Canada + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Posture; Körperhaltung; Aufmerksamkeit; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Young adult; Junger Erwachsener; Collegestudent; Älterer Erwachsener; Ausland; Kanada
Abstract	Purpose: Suprapostural task performance (manual tracking) and postural control (sway and frequency) were examined as a function of attentional focus, age, and tracking difficulty. Given the performance benefits often found under external focus conditions, it was hypothesized that external focus instructions would promote superior tracking and reduced postural sway for both age groups, most notably as a function of tracking difficulty. Method: Postural sway, frequency of postural adjustments, and tracking accuracy under two levels of task difficulty were assessed for younger ("M"[subscript age] = 20.98 years) and older ("M"[subscript age] = 70.80 years) participants while they manually tracked a pursuit-rotor target. Participants received instructions to focus on either their actions (internal focus) or the effect of their actions (external focus). Results: Analyses revealed a beneficial effect of an external focus on suprapostural performance on the less-difficult (0.5 Hz) tracking task, and this performance was associated with a modest improvement in medial-lateral postural sway. Conclusion: The findings offer limited support for external focus-of-attention benefits under a mildly challenging tracking task. While older adults tend to adopt a conservative postural control strategy regardless of tracking task difficulty, external focus instructions on a suprapostural task promoted a modest, beneficial shift in postural control. (Contains 5 figures.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10