TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimizing Motor Learning in Older Adults
AU - Khalaji, Zahra
AU - Nezakat Alhosseini, Maryam
AU - Safavi Hamami, Shila
AU - Iwatsuki, Takehiro
AU - Wulf, Gabriele
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved.
PY - 2024/1/1
Y1 - 2024/1/1
N2 - Objectives: According to the Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning (OPTIMAL) theory of Wulf and Lewthwaite, enhanced expectancies (EE), autonomy support (AS), and an external focus (EF) of attention facilitate motor performance and learning. The present study examined whether consecutive implementation of EE, AS, and EF during practice would enhance the learning of a square-stepping task in older adults. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to optimized and control groups. After the pretest, 1 of the 3 factors was implemented during each of the three 12-trial practice blocks, in a counterbalanced order, in the optimized group: positive feedback (EE), choice of mat color (AS), and instructions to focus on the squares (EF). Control group participants practiced without any of these factors. Results: Results indicated that the optimized group had faster movement times than the control group during the practice phase and on 24-hr retention and transfer tests. Discussion: The key variables in the OPTIMAL theory can be applied sequentially in order to facilitate motor performance and learning in older adults.
AB - Objectives: According to the Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning (OPTIMAL) theory of Wulf and Lewthwaite, enhanced expectancies (EE), autonomy support (AS), and an external focus (EF) of attention facilitate motor performance and learning. The present study examined whether consecutive implementation of EE, AS, and EF during practice would enhance the learning of a square-stepping task in older adults. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to optimized and control groups. After the pretest, 1 of the 3 factors was implemented during each of the three 12-trial practice blocks, in a counterbalanced order, in the optimized group: positive feedback (EE), choice of mat color (AS), and instructions to focus on the squares (EF). Control group participants practiced without any of these factors. Results: Results indicated that the optimized group had faster movement times than the control group during the practice phase and on 24-hr retention and transfer tests. Discussion: The key variables in the OPTIMAL theory can be applied sequentially in order to facilitate motor performance and learning in older adults.
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U2 - 10.1093/geronb/gbad120
DO - 10.1093/geronb/gbad120
M3 - Article
C2 - 37591686
AN - SCOPUS:85181176848
SN - 1079-5014
VL - 79
JO - Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
JF - Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
IS - 1
M1 - gbad120
ER -