BACKGROUND An implication of the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning [1] is that standardized clinical and laboratory assessments of physical capacity and motor performance likely do not reflect true maximal capabilities unless they are "optimized" with appropriate testing conditions. The influence of motivational (enhanced expectancies, EE, and autonomy support, AS) and attentional (an external attentional focus, EF) factors on a clinical-applied test of balance control was examined with healthy participants. Given the motor performance benefits of optimized conditions predicted by the OPTIMAL theory, it was hypothesized that providing participants with information that induced EE, provided them with AS, and promoted their use of EF would reduce balance errors and postural sway. METHODS We used as an exemplar assessment, the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), and center-of-pressure (COP) velocity measurements of postural sway. Participants performed under two different conditions, separated by two days: an optimized (EE, AS, and EF) condition and a control (neutral) condition, with sample-wide order counterbalancing. In each condition, participants performed three stances (single-leg, double-leg, and tandem) on two support surfaces (firm and foam). Stance order was participant-determined in the optimized condition and, for the control condition, yoked to a participant in the optimized condition. RESULTS Participants committed fewer balance errors in the optimized condition than in the control condition (p <  .001) and their resultant COP velocity in the optimized condition was lower than that in the control condition (p =  .004). BESS scores were correlated with resultant COP velocity (r = .593, p <  .001). SIGNIFICANCE Our results demonstrated the impact of implementing optimized, as opposed to "neutral" control, conditions for better insight into balance capabilities in normal and challenging situations. Practitioners' roles in mediating test situations and using subtle wording to promote optimized performance may have consequential impacts on motor assessment outcomes.

中文翻译：

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明智地选择您的话：优化对标准化性能测试的影响。

背景技术运动学习的最佳理论[1]的含义是，除非通过适当的测试条件对其进行“优化”，否则标准化的临床和实验室评估的物理能力和运动能力可能无法反映真正的最大能力。在健康参与者中检查了动机因素（增强的期望值，EE和自治支持，AS）和注意因素（外部注意焦点，EF）对临床应用的平衡控制测试的影响。鉴于OPTIMAL理论所预测的优化条件在运动性能方面的优势，可以假设为参与者提供诱导EE的信息，为他们提供AS并促进他们使用EF的信息将减少平衡误差和姿势摇摆。方法我们用作示例评估，平衡误差计分系统（BESS）和姿势摇摆的压力中心（COP）速度测量。参加者在两种不同的条件下进行，间隔两天：优化（EE，AS和EF）条件和对照（中性）条件，并在整个样本范围内进行平衡。在每种情况下，参与者在两个支撑表面（公司和泡沫）上执行三种姿态（单腿，双腿和双人）。姿态顺序是在最佳条件下确定的，而对于对照条件，则是在最佳条件下对参与者的约束。结果与优化条件相比，优化条件下参与者的平衡误差更少（p <.001），并且优化条件下的最终COP速度低于对照条件下的COP速度（p = .004）。BESS得分与所得COP速度相关（r = .593，p <.001）。意义我们的结果表明，与“中性”控制相反，实施优化的条件对更好地了解正常和挑战性情况下的平衡能力具有影响。从业人员在调解测试情况和使用微妙的措辞以促进最佳性能方面的作用可能会对运动评估结果产生相应的影响。