Children up to adolescence use more online feedback control (larger compensation angles) to counteract the perturbation, while overall target success is preserved across all ages¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? The compensation angle at the end of learning was significantly larger for children aged 3–4 through 11–12 compared to adults, showing greater reliance on online feedback, though all age groups hit the target successfully. → Malone 2025

Evidence¶

Malone 2025¶

Malone, L. A., Hill, N. M., Tripp, H., Zipunnikov, V., Wolpert, D. M. & Bastian, A. J. (2025). The control of movement gradually transitions from feedback control to feedforward adaptation throughout childhood. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-025-00304-7

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Repeated measures ANOVA of compensation angle (final minus initial angle) in the Push ball task: significant epoch effect and epoch × age-group interaction (F31.6,2197 = 2.36, p < 0.001), but no main effect of age-group (F7486 = 1.62, p = 0.13). Baseline behavior was similar across age groups.

"At the end of learning, post hoc analysis revealed that the compensation angle was sig- nificantly different for the 3–4yo (p <0 . 0 0 1 )a n d5–6yo (p < 0.001), 7–8yo (p < 0.001), 9–10yo (p = 0.007), 11–12yo (p = 0.02) when compared to the adults."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Age and Developmental Stage — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Initial-angle adaptation in a visuomotor rotation task is not adult-like until roughly 13–14 years of age, with younger children adapting less — related
• After-effects of adaptation persist through washout in the youngest children, whereas older children and adults return toward baseline by the end of washout — related
• Younger children's reliance on feedback control reflects a reliance rather than a preference: when adaptation is the only option (Launch ball), they do not adapt more and simply miss the target more — related