Attention Focus Does Not Influence Performance of Sit-to-Stand in Young and Older Adults

An external focus of attention can improve performance, but there is little research on effects for the elderly in every day, well-learned mobility tasks. 57 older and 59 young adults performed the sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit while holding a cup, at three difficulty levels (cup empty or full, at normal or fast speed). Half were instructed to focus internally (on their movements) and half externally (on the cup). The effects of focus, age, and difficulty level were tested for movement time, mean inclination of the cup, inclination variability, and smoothness with 2 × 2 × 3 ANOVAs. Significant effects of difficulty were consistent across variables (p < 0.05). An effect of focus was present only for the inclination variability of the stand-to-sit (p < 0.03), favoring an internal focus (less variability). The age × focus interaction was significant for mean cup inclination, but post hoc tests failed to reveal any significant differences. The results of this study, together with the literature, suggest that an external focus may not benefit the performance of young or older adults in general mobility activities of daily living. The prevalent assumption that an external focus is always beneficial for performance needs further empirical testing.