Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

How attentional focus on body sway affects postural control during quiet standing

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Psychological Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how attentional focus on body sway affects postural control during quiet standing. To address this issue, sixteen young healthy adults were asked to stand upright as immobile as possible on a force platform in both Control and Attention conditions. In the latter condition, participants were instructed to deliberately focus their attention on their body sways and to increase their active intervention into postural control. The critical analysis was focused on elementary motions computed from the centre of pressure (CoP) trajectories: (1) the vertical projection of the centre of gravity (CoGv) and (2) the difference between CoP and CoGv (CoP–CoGv). The former is recognised as an index of performance in this postural task, whilst the latter constitutes a fair expression of the ankle joint stiffness and is linked to the level of neuromuscular activity of the lower limb muscles required for controlling posture. A frequency-domain analysis showed increased amplitudes and frequencies of CoP–CoGv motions in the Attention relative to the Control condition, whereas non-significant changes were observed for the CoGv motions. Altogether, the present findings suggest that attentional focus on body sway, induced by the instructions, promoted the use of less automatic control process and hampered the efficiency for controlling posture during quiet standing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abernethy, B. (1988). Dual-task methodology and motor skills research: Some methodological constraints. Journal of Human Movement Studies 14, 101–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumeister, R. F. (1984). Choking under pressure: Self-consciousness and paradoxical effects of incentives on skillful performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 46, 610–620.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beilock, S. L., & Carr T. H. (2001). On the fragility of skilled performance: What governs choking under pressure? Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 130, 701–725.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonnet, M., Decety, J., Jeannerod, M., & Requin, J. (1997). Mental simulation of an action modulates the excitability of spinal reflex pathways in man. Cognitive Brain Research 5, 221–228.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Breniere, Y. (1996). Why we walk the way we do? Journal of Motor Behavior 28, 291–298.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, D., Adams, R. W., & Skuse, N. F. (1989). The effects of voluntary contraction on the H-reflex of human limb muscles. Brain 112, 417–493.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Capaday, C., & Stein, R. B. (1987). Difference in the amplitude of the human soleus H reflex during walking and running. Journal of Physiology (London) 392, 513–522.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caron, O., Faure, B., & Breniere, Y. (1997). Estimating the center of gravity of the body on the basis of the center of pressure in standing posture. Journal of Biomechanics 30, 1169–1171.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Caron, O., Gelat, T., Rougier, P., & Blanchi, J. P. (2000). A comparative analysis of the center of gravity and center of pressure trajectory path lengths in standing posture: An estimation of active stiffness. Journal of Applied Biomechanics 16, 234–247.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter, M. G., Frank, J. S., Silcher, C. P., & Peysar, G. W. (2001). The influence of postural threat on the control of upright stance. Experimental Brain Research 138, 210–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clément, G., Gurfinkel, V. S., Lestienne, F., Lipshits, M. I., & Popov, K. E. (1984). Adaptation of postural control to weightlessness. Experimental Brain Research 57, 61–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gage, W. H., Winter, D. A., Frank, J. S., & Adkin, A. L. (2004). Kinematic and kinetic validity of the inverted pendulum model in quiet standing. Gait Posture 19, 124–132.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gollhofer, A., Horstmann, G. A., Berger, W., & Dietz, V. (1989). Compensation of translational and rotational perturbations in human posture: Stabilization of the centre of gravity. Neuroscience Letters 105, 73–78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Henneman, E., Somjen, G., & Carpenter, D. O. (1965). Functional significance of cell size in spinal motoneurons. Journal of Neurophysiology 28, 560–580.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Horstmann, A., & Dietz, V. (1990). A basic posture control mechanism: The stabilization of the centre of gravity. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology 76, 165–176.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kahneman, D. (1973). Attention and Effort. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • LeClair, K., & Riach, C. (1996). Postural stability measures: What to measure and for how long. Clinical Biomechanics 11, 176–178.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ledebt, A., & Breniere, Y. (1994). Dynamical implication of anatomical and mechanical parameters in gait initiation process in children. Human Movement Science 13, 801–815.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magill, R. A. (2001). Motor learning: Concepts and applications. (6th edn.). New York: Mc Graw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Massion, J. (1994). Postural control system. Current Opinion in Neurobiology 4, 877–887.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McNevin, N. H., & Wulf, G. (2002). Attentional focus on supra-postural tasks affects postural control. Human Movement Science 21, 187–202.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McNevin, N. H., Shea, C. H., & Wulf, G. (2003). Increasing the distance of an external focus of attention enhances learning. Psychological Research 67, 22–29.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nafati G., Rossi-Durand C., & Schmied A. (2004). Proprioceptive control of human wrist extensor motor units during an attention demanding task. Brain Research 1018, 208–220.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nault, M. L., Allard, P., Hinse, S., Le Blanc, R., Caron, O., Labelle, H., & Sadeghi, H. (2002). Relations between standing stability and body posture parameters in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Spine 27, 1911–1917.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Requin, J., & Paillard, J. (1971). Depression of monosynaptic reflexes as a specific aspect of preparatory motor set in visual reaction time. In Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (ed) Visual information processing and control of motor activity (pp. 391–396). Sofia.

  • Rossi-Durand, C. (2002). The influence of increased muscle spindle sensitivity on Achilles tendon jerk and H-reflex in relaxed human subjects. Somatosensory & Motor Research 19, 286–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossignol, S., Lund, J. P., & Drew, T. (1988). The role of sensory inputs in regulating patterns of rhythmical movements in higher vertebrates. In A. H. Cohen, S. Rossignol, S. Grillner (eds). Neural control of rhythmic movement in vertebrates (pp. 201–283). New York: Wiley

    Google Scholar 

  • Rougier, P. (2003). Visual feedback induces opposite effects on elementary centre of gravity and centre of pressure minus centre of gravity motions in undisturbed upright stance. Clinical Biomechanics 18, 341–349.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rougier, P., Caron, O. (2000). Centre of gravity motions and ankle joint stiffness control in upright undisturbed stance modeled through a fractional Brownian motion framework. Journal of Motor Behavior 32, 405–413.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rougier, P., & Farenc, I. (2000). Adaptive effects of loss of vision on upright undisturbed stance. Brain Research 871, 161–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rougier, P., Burdet, C., Farenc, I., & Berger, L. (2001). Backward and forward leaning postures modelled by a fBm framework. Neuroscience Research 41, 41–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rougier, P., Burdet, C., Farenc, I., & Berger, L. (2004). How postural behaviour in undisturbed upright stance can be used to assess the physical characteristics of various models of ankle orthoses. Clinical Biomechanics 19, 497–505.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singer, R. N., Lidor, R., & Cauraugh, J. H. (1993). To be aware or not aware: What to think about while learning and performing a motor skill. The Sport Psychologist 7, 19–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winter, D. A. (1995). Human balance and posture control during standing and walking. Gait Posture 3, 193–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winter, D. A., Patla, A.E., Prince, F., Ishac, M., & Gielo-Perczak, K. (1998). Stiffness control of balance in quiet standing. Journal of Neurophysiology 80, 1211–1221.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wulf, G., & Prinz, W. (2001). Directing attention to movement effects enhances learning: A review. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 8, 648–660.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wulf, G., & Weigelt, C. (1997). Instructions in learning a complex motor skill: To tell or not to tell. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport 68, 362–367.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wulf, G., Höß, M., & Prinz, W. (1998). Instructions for motor learning: Differential effects of internal versus external focus of attention. Journal of Motor Behavior 30, 169–179.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wulf, G., McNevin, N. H., & Shea, C. H. (2001). The automaticity of complex motor skill learning as a function of attentional focus. The Quaterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 54A, 1143–1154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wulf, G., Shea, C. H., & Park, J. -H. (2001). Attention in motor learning: Preferences of and advantages of an external focus. Reseach Quaterly for Exercise and Sport 72, 335–344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wulf, G., Mercer, J., McNevin, N. H. & Guadagnoli, M. A. (2004). Reciprocal influences of attentional focus on postural and suprapostural task performance. Journal of Motor Behavior 36, 189–199.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank R. A. Bianchi for technical assistance and A. Schmied and Ch. Rossi-Durand for helpful comments and suggestions. Special thanks also are extended to Jeff B. and Christelle B. for various contributions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Modélisation des Activités Sportives, Université de Savoie, Domaine Universitaire, 73 376, Le Bourget du Lac cedex, France

    Nicolas Vuillerme

  2. Laboratoire TIMC-IMAG, UMR CNRS 5525, Equipe AFIRM, Grenoble, France

    Nicolas Vuillerme

  3. Laboratoire de Plasticité et PhysioPathologie de la Motricité, UMR 6196, CNRS/Université de la Méditerranée, Méditerranée, France

    Gilel Nafati

Authors
  1. Nicolas Vuillerme
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gilel Nafati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicolas Vuillerme.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vuillerme, N., Nafati, G. How attentional focus on body sway affects postural control during quiet standing. Psychological Research 71, 192–200 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-005-0018-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-005-0018-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation