The development of period correction processes in motor coordination: adaptation to temporal perturbation.
The third in a series of studies investigating the development of multilimb coordination in children, this study investigates the ability to period correct, or resynchronize limbs after a temporal perturbation. Participants performed single (clap, walk) and dual (simultaneously clap and walk) motor tasks to a metronome, which was randomly perturbed (either increase or decrease in speed). In the walk/metronome coupling, a significant interaction existed in relative phase error between age group and cycle with less relative phase error on the third and forth cycle with increased age. In the clap/metronome, a main effect existed for cycle (increasing with cycle) and age (decreasing with age), but no interactions existed. Neither task (single or dual) nor direction of perturbation (speed increase/decrease) had a statistical effect. The results suggested that developmental trajectories may exist in period correction processes; further research examining continuous data over longer collection periods should be performed to confirm this finding.
University of Delaware-Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences, Newark, Delaware, USA.
David
D
Clizbe
Nancy
N
Getchell
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology