Date of Award

2010

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.H.K.

Department

Kinesiology

Keywords

Health Sciences, Rehabilitation and Therapy.

Supervisor

McNevin, Nancy (Human Kinetics)

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

This study is the first in which both performance production and outcome measurements are incorporated for a postural and supra-postural task, to identify the effect of attentional focus (AF) on muscles distal to the primary action. Postural and shoulder muscles are assessed when 21 participants attempt to minimize aiming error on a distal target while being subject to discrete arm perturbations. During each 60s trial random perturbations were delivered to the right arm and subjects were provided different AF instructions: control (no instruction), internal (focus on finger), and external (focus on laser). Providing an instruction improved both postural and supra-postural performance, i.e. COPnet PL decreased F(2,36)=5.259, p< 0.05, PeakMax of laser marker was lower F(2,36)=11.274, p<0.05. However, based on the current results there is no reason to expect that the type (internal, external) of instruction influences the response to a discrete and external perturbation.

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