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Balance Expertise Is Associated with Superior Spatial Perspective-Taking Skills
Kirsten Hötting1, Ann-Kathrin Rogge1, Laura A Kuhne1
1Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology, Universität Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 11, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.
Brain Sciences
|November 27, 2021
Summary
Long-term balance practice, like in gymnastics, enhances spatial cognition and perspective-taking skills. This suggests sensorimotor experience specifically shapes cognitive abilities, supporting embodied cognition theories.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Kinesiology
Background:
- Balance training improves spatial cognition and brain plasticity.
- Sensorimotor experience may influence cognitive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between long-term balance practice and spatial cognition.
- To compare spatial perspective-taking abilities across balance experts, endurance athletes, and sedentary individuals.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study design.
- Comparison of spatial perspective-taking tasks between three groups: balance experts (n=40), endurance athletes (n=38), and sedentary individuals (n=58).
- Regression analysis to assess the relationship between balance performance and spatial cognition.
Main Results:
- Balance experts demonstrated superior performance in dynamic balance tasks compared to endurance athletes and sedentary individuals.
- The balance group outperformed the sedentary group in spatial perspective-taking.
- A positive correlation was found between individual balance performance and spatial perspective-taking abilities across all participants.
Conclusions:
- Long-term balance practice is specifically associated with enhanced spatial cognition, particularly spatial perspective-taking.
- Findings support embodied cognition theories, indicating sensorimotor expertise shapes cognitive functions.
- Balance training may offer a unique avenue for cognitive enhancement.
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