Evaluation of Predictive Motor Control With Two Touchscreen Tablet-Based Tests: Reliability and Validity in...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human Development
• Motor Control

Background:

• Predictive motor control is a key indicator of neuromotor development and maturation.
• Existing methods for assessing predictive motor control may lack accessibility or standardization.
• Touchscreen technology offers a novel platform for developing engaging and reliable motor assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate two touchscreen tablet-based tests for assessing predictive motor control.
• To investigate the reliability and validity of a rapid manual interception test and a pursuit tracking test.
• To evaluate these tests in a sample of children aged 7-10 years.

Main Methods:

• 124 children (7-10 years old) participated in the study.
• Two tablet-based tests were administered: rapid manual interception and pursuit tracking.
• Tests were conducted with both visible and invisible moving targets using a stylus at 100 Hz.

Main Results:

• Confirmatory factor analyses and omega coefficients indicated high reliability for both tests.
• Older children (9-10 years) demonstrated significantly better performance than younger children (7-8 years).
• Correlations between the tests suggested shared variance, supporting their assessment of predictive visuomotor control.

Conclusions:

• The developed touchscreen tablet tests are psychometrically suitable for assessing predictive visuomotor control.
• These tests provide a reliable method for evaluating neuromotor abilities in children aged 7-10.
• The findings contribute to the field of developmental neuroscience and motor assessment tools.