Manual performance of a repeated pattern by older and younger adults with supplementary auditory cues

Ss performed the same M-shaped manual movement pattern on repeated trials using a visual display of instantaneous error. With practice, Ss' effective time delays were diminished by increased anticipation as evidenced by an increased correlation of their movement patterns with the input velocity. However, younger adults had lower error scores, performed larger movements, and had shorter effective time delays than did older adults. Supplementary auditory displays additionally contributed to greater anticipation. However, men exhibited this effect most with an auditory display of input velocity and women with an auditory display of input position. This benefit of the auditory displays did not carry over after these displays were withdrawn. When the visual display was additionally withdrawn, benefits of the auditory training were manifest among the older adults as relatively greater temporal modulation of movement.