title: Developmental sequence in the acquisition of anticipation during a new co-ordination in a bimanual load-lifting task in children.
abstract: The aim of this experiment was to test the capacity of children to develop anticipation at various stages of their growth. We studied the learning process of an artificial co-ordination by means of a procedure of double unloading in two groups of children, and a group of adults. Elbow-joint angle measurement was used to assess for the improvement of the forearm stabilization through the six learning sessions. The main results report a developmental sequence of the acquisition of anticipatory postural adjustments (APA) similar to the one established for the ontogenesis of APA. A difference in learning dynamics, but also in the final level of performance, is reported between children aged 5-6 and children aged 7-8 years. The improvement occurring at the age of 7 years probably indicates maturation of internal representations, favourable to the faster setting up of operational anticipated control.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Développement et Pathologie du Mouvement, CNRS, 31, Chemin J Aiguier, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20, France.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Assaiante
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004550:Elbow / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis