Citation

Uiga L, Poolton JM, Capio CM, Wilson MR, Ryu D, Masters RSW. Hum. Mov. Sci. 2020; 70: e102566.

Affiliation

School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, University of Waikato, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.humov.2019.102566

PMID

31957667

Abstract

We examined the effect of verbalization of a phylogenetic motor skill, balance, in older and young adults with a low or a high propensity for conscious verbal engagement in their movements (reinvestment). Seventy-seven older adults and 53 young adults were categorized as high or low reinvestors, using the Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale, which assesses propensity for conscious processing of movements. Participants performed a pre- and post-test balance task that required quiet standing on a force-measuring plate. Prior to the post-test, participants described their pre-test balancing performance (verbalization) or listed animals (non-verbalization). Only young adults were affected by verbalization, with participants with a high propensity for reinvestment displaying increased medial-lateral entropy and participants with a low propensity for reinvestment displaying increased area of sway and medial-lateral sway variability following the intervention. The possible explanations for these results are discussed.

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Movement specific reinvestment; Older adults; Postural control; Verbalization