Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MSc)

Department

Kinesiology and Physical Education

Faculty/School

Faculty of Science

First Advisor

Nicole Williams

Advisor Role

Researcher

Second Advisor

Pamela Bryden

Advisor Role

Researcher

Abstract

The current study aimed to build on the work of Gooderham & Bryden (2013) by comparing the effects of task complexity on hand selection across the lifespan. It was hypothesized that the increasing complexity of a task would override a biomechanically efficient movement such that participants would use only the preferred hand to complete the task. It was also hypothesized that older adults would perform similarly to young children with respect to switch points in space. Four age groups of participants (3-7 year olds, 8-12 year olds, 18-25 year olds and adults over 70 years) completed the newly designed Hand Selection Complexity Task (HSCT) which is an observational method designed to investigate the effects of task difficulty on hand selection in terms of Fitts’ Law. The measures allows for the proximity of reaches to remain the same, while manipulating task difficulty. Participants also completed the Long Pegboard (Bryden, et al., 1994), which measured the behavioural preference of hand selection. Finally, participants completed the Waterloo Handedness Questionnaire, to determine hand preference. Results indicated that young children and seniors required an increased amount of time to complete the HSCT at all difficulty (ID) levels. However, with respect to a complexity switch point, no significant differences were found between young adults and seniors indicating a similar performance. Young children and older children preferred to switch to using their preferred hand to complete the task, regardless of spatial location. Conversely, both the young adults and the seniors utilized the hand in closest proximity to the task. Results for the Long Pegboard task again indicated that young children and older adults required significantly more time to complete the task compared to the other two populations. Results of the current study suggested that age does play an important role on determining hand preference in order to perform a task. As task complexity increased, the time to complete the task also increased, which was true for all age groups. With increasing task complexity, older children tended to switch to use the preferred hand to complete the task, regardless of spatial location of the task. No differences were found in the performance of the task by young adults and seniors in terms of the emergence of a complexity switch-point.

Convocation Year

2014

Convocation Season

Fall

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Included in

Motor Control Commons

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