Article

Studies with young adults have shown that an external focus of attention (i.e.,
on the movement effect) results in more effective motor learning and greater
automaticity than an internal focus (i.e., on one's own body movements). The
present study examined whether instructions inducing an external versus internal
attentional focus would differentially affect the learning of a balance task in
32 older adults (24 females and 8 males, mean age: 69.4 years), divided equally,
by number and gender, into two groups. The task required participants to stand on
a balance platform (stabilometer) tilting to the left and right, and to try to
keep the platform as close to horizontal as possible during each 30-s trial. The
external focus group was instructed to concentrate on keeping markers on the
platform horizontal, while the internal focus group was instructed to concentrate
on keeping their feet horizontal. The dependent variable was time in balance
(i.e., platform movements within +/- 5 degrees ). Participants performed 10
practice trials on day 1, with focus reminders given before each trial. Learning
was assessed by a retention test, consisting of five trials without instructions,
performed 1 day later. The external focus group outperformed the internal focus
group in retention [F(4, 120)=3.46, p=.01]. The results demonstrate that the
learning benefits of an external attentional focus are generalizable to older
learners.
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Langue : ANGLAIS