Fine Motor Precision Tasks: Sex Differences in Performance with and without Visual Guidance across Different Age Groups

Abstract

Previous studies have reported certain sex differences in motor performance precision. The aim of the present study was to analyse sex differences in fine motor precision performance for both hands in different tests conditions. 220 Spanish participants (ages: 12-95) performed fine motor tasks - tracing over the provided models – lines of 40 mm for both hands, two sensory conditions (PV – proprioceptive-visual; P – proprioceptive only) and three movement types (F – frontal, T – transversal and S - Sagittal). Differences in line length (the task focused on precision) were observed through MANOVA analysis for all test conditions, both sexes and different age groups. Sex differences in precision were observed in F and T movement types (statistically significance level and higher Cohens’ d was observed in condition with vision). No any statistically significant differences were observed in both hands and sensory conditions in sagittal type. Sex differences in fine motor precision were more frequently observed in the PV sensory condition in the frontal movement type and less in the sagittal one.

Proprioceptive Indicators of Personality and Individual Differences in Behavior in Children With ADHD

“…This method goes back to Mira y López’s initial work, Las correlaciones somáticas del trabajo mental (somatic correlations of mental work) ( Mira, 1923 ), some insights of which were later developed in his hypothesis of individual differences in fine motor control. These ideas were confirmed experimentally by Mira y López’s own observation of pilots’ performance ( Liutsko, 2014 ), as well during his work with Luria’s polygraph ( Luria, 1932 ). This all contributed to creating the method of myokinetic psychodiagnosis (MKP) ( Mira, 1958 ).…”

“…In both cases we can speak of adaptive, favorable processes that occurred due to education, therapy, and/or medication. Moreover, high excitability does not always have a negative interpretation: People with a high IQ were also found with it ( Liutsko, 2014 ).…”

“…The DP-TC method is a digital version of the MKP Mira y Lopez test (lineograms and parallels), which has fewer errors in output measures since it was digitalized (reducing the human error in measurements). The MKP method itself was used widely during the last century, mainly in exploratory and experimental studies, with more than 300 articles published about it (mostly in Portuguese and Spanish) ( Liutsko, 2014 ).…”

“…Tous Ral within this Mira y Lopez tradition, also attributes the observed measures in the non-dominant hand to temperamental factors, and those in the dominant hand to character-related factors ( Tous Ral et al, 2012b ; Tous Ral and Liutsko, 2014 ). Changes in the precision of fine motor performance can occur due to changes in the environment and/or individual differences ( Tous Ral and Liutsko, 2014 ), stress and/or illness in patients with cancer ( Liutsko et al, 2016 ), Parkinson’s disease ( Gironell et al, 2012 ), multiple sclerosis ( Liutsko and Tous Ral, 2013 ), and developmental/maturation and aging processes ( Liutsko, 2014 ; Liutsko et al, 2014a , b ). Moreover, stress created by the simultaneous performance of tasks, such as the addition of a cognitive task like counting backwards from 100, to a fine motor performance task, also affected the fine motor precision of students on the Irritability dimension of DP-TC, causing an increase in Line Length performance 2 similar to what is observed due to aging processes ( Liutsko et al, 2014c ).…”

Stress Resilience (Proprioceptive and Verbal Individual Differences) in Onco-Patients, Sportsmen and Controls

“…Very few studies have been conducted regarding the relationship between stress resilience and individual differences in proprioceptive accuracy of fine motor skills due to a general lack of 2 knowledge in the area of motor control in psychology. Draganova obtained, as a result of her PhD dissertation, named "Psychophysiological markers of the juvenile tolerance" (2007) (cited in [6]) the following myokinetical indicators [7] of the person with high tolerance: balanced processes of excitation and inhibition, normal emotional tone, absence of hetero-or auto-aggressiveness, and overall good myokinetic balance. The study by Şenol et al demonstrated that an increase in cortisol levels, associated with stress, negatively affects proprioception of the ankle joint, though significant differences were observed only with closed eyes [8].…”