Therapeutics
Kazunori Akizuki, PhD
Senior Assistant Professor
Mejiro University
Saitama, Saitama, Japan
Tastuya Kaneno, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Occupational Therapy, Graduate School of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Satoshi Shibata, PhD
Assistant Professor
Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences
Ami-machi, Ibaraki, Japan
Jun Yabuki, PhD
Assistant Professor
Tokyo University of Technology
Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan
This study examined the influence of intrinsic motivation on motor learning outcomes following balance training in community-dwelling older adults.
Design:
This study included 40 community-dwelling older adults who were independent in activities of daily living. The experimental protocol included a pre-test, balance training session, and retention test. Balance training consisted of nine 20-second trials on an unstable board. To assess training effects, participants completed the pre-test before training and the retention test 24 hours later. Intrinsic motivation was measured using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) before and after training. To assess balance changes, a one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed with balance performance as the dependent variable and test timing (pre-test vs. retention test) as the within-subject factor. Post-hoc tests were conducted when appropriate. Changes in IMI subscale scores (interest/enjoyment, perceived competence, and effort/importance) were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The balance improvement rate (pre-test to retention test) was calculated, and its association with IMI subscale scores before and after training was examined using Spearman's correlation analysis.
Results:
Balance performance significantly improved after training (p< .001). Interest/enjoyment and effort/importance subscale scores increased significantly post-training (p< .001 and p=.026, respectively), whereas perceived competence showed no significant (p=.104). However, the rate of balance improvement was significantly and positively correlated with post-training perceived competence (r=.440, p=.005).
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that intrinsic motivation, particularly perceived competence after practice, is associated with the magnitude of motor learning during balance training among older adults. Enhancing perceived competence may be an important strategy for optimizing motor learning outcomes after balance training.
