Major changes in a rhythmic ball-bouncing task occur at age 7 years.
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 24098332.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0074127 and PMC identifier PMC3788754.
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Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the development of a rhythmical skill of children aged from 5 to 12 years old. Five age groups (5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, and young adults) performed a virtual ball bouncing task (16 forty-second long test trials). Task performances, racket oscillation, ball-racket impacts as well as the ball-racket coupling were analysed. The results showed a change in both performance and behaviour at the age of 7 years old. Before this age, children exhibited restricted perceptual-motor coordination with a high frequency of racket oscillation and a poor level of performance. After the age of 7, cycle-to-cycle adaptive coordination based on visual information was progressively acquired leading to increasing performance levels with age. Overall these results revealed a rapid change in capability to perform the ball bouncing task across age with a late emergence of the required coordination and significant change in the coordination at the age of 7.