The role of conscious processing of movements during balance by young and older adults

Uiga, L ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5371-9428, Poolton, JM, Capio, CM, Wilson, MR, Ryu, D and Masters, RSW (2020) The role of conscious processing of movements during balance by young and older adults. Human Movement Science, 70. ISSN 0167-9457

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Abstract

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. 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.