Abstract
The effect of physical stimulation on motor inhibition and cognitive performance of 70 third-grade children was examined. 46 subjects participated in a brief, but strenuous obstacle course. Their performance on two motor inhibition tasks, a short-term memory/attentional task, and a test assessing reflectivity was assessed before the stimulation, immediately afterward, and again after a 30-min. delay. A control group (n = 24) received comparable experience without the physical intervention. Physical stimulation facilitated fine motor inhibition at both the immediate and delayed retest. The intervention interfered with an apparent practice effect on the attentional task. No condition effects were noted for gross motor performance or reflectivity, although girls were significantly more reflective at retest. It is proposed that physical stimulation augments certain aspects of inhibitory control in children.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 207-214 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Perceptual and motor skills |
| Volume | 63 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1986 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Sensory Systems