Effects of Aging on Automatic and Effortful Processes in Bimanual Coordination

MSL research field: 
Special populations
TitleEffects of Aging on Automatic and Effortful Processes in Bimanual Coordination
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2000
AuthorsWishart, LR, Lee, TD, Murdoch, JE, Hodges, NJ
JournalThe Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
Volume55
Issue2
PaginationP85 - P94
Date Published03/2000
ISSN1758-5368
Abstract

Two experiments are reported that compared younger and older adults on their performance of two bimanual temporal coordination tasks at varying movement speeds. In many cases, older adults performed as well as younger adults at all speeds of an in-phase coordination pattern and at slow speeds of an anti-phase pattern for both coordination accuracy and stability. Age differences tended to emerge most prominently at high speeds for the anti-phase pattern. These findings are consistent with the aging literature regarding automatic and effortful processing distinctions, suggesting that relative age differences become magnified when effortful resources are required for motor performance.

DOI10.1093/geronb/55.2.P85
Short TitleThe Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
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