TY - JOUR
T1 - Internal versus external
T2 - Oral-motor performance as a function of attentional focus
AU - Freedman, Skott E.
AU - Maas, Edwin
AU - Caligiuri, Michael P.
AU - Wulf, Gabriele
AU - Robin, Donald A.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2011 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2007/2/1
Y1 - 2007/2/1
N2 - Purpose: Previous studies (e.g., G. Wulf, M. Höß, & W. Prinz, 1998; G. Wulf, B. Lauterbach, & T. Toole, 1999; for a review, see G. Wulf & W. Prinz, 2001) have reported that limb motor performance is enhanced when individuals adopt an external focus (focusing on the effect of the movement) versus an internal focus of attention (focusing on body parts such as the muscles of the hand). This study tested the hypothesis that the effects of attentional focus on limb performance would also occur in the oral-facial system. Method: Two groups of 23 participants were administered both hand and tongue impulse force control tasks in which each group was randomly assigned either an internal or an external focus of attention. Participants were required to exert rapid pressure bursts to achieve a target force level of 20% of their maximal strength. Results: Consistent with limb studies, findings revealed a significant advantage of an external focus (greater accuracy, less variability) for both the hand and tongue control tasks, as opposed to an internal focus of attention. Conclusions: Results are discussed relative to a constrained-action theory of motor control and future application to speech motor learning.
AB - Purpose: Previous studies (e.g., G. Wulf, M. Höß, & W. Prinz, 1998; G. Wulf, B. Lauterbach, & T. Toole, 1999; for a review, see G. Wulf & W. Prinz, 2001) have reported that limb motor performance is enhanced when individuals adopt an external focus (focusing on the effect of the movement) versus an internal focus of attention (focusing on body parts such as the muscles of the hand). This study tested the hypothesis that the effects of attentional focus on limb performance would also occur in the oral-facial system. Method: Two groups of 23 participants were administered both hand and tongue impulse force control tasks in which each group was randomly assigned either an internal or an external focus of attention. Participants were required to exert rapid pressure bursts to achieve a target force level of 20% of their maximal strength. Results: Consistent with limb studies, findings revealed a significant advantage of an external focus (greater accuracy, less variability) for both the hand and tongue control tasks, as opposed to an internal focus of attention. Conclusions: Results are discussed relative to a constrained-action theory of motor control and future application to speech motor learning.
KW - Constrained action hypothesis
KW - Focus of attention
KW - Oral-motor
KW - Speech motor control
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U2 - 10.1044/1092-4388(2007/011)
DO - 10.1044/1092-4388(2007/011)
M3 - Article
C2 - 17344554
AN - SCOPUS:34247846190
VL - 50
SP - 131
EP - 136
JO - Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
JF - Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
SN - 1092-4388
IS - 1
ER -