Age-Related Changes in Automatic Imitation

―A Cross-Sectional Study of Adults Aged 20-79 Years Old―

Abstract

Motor performance is influenced by the observation of the movements of others, which is known as automatic imitation and is applicable to both everyday movements and sports and exercise. This study examined the automatic imitation tendencies in adults aged 20-79 years old using experimental psychological methods to investigate how automatic imitation tendencies change with age. Participants performed a stimulus-response conflict task, and their reaction times and correct rate were measured. Index of reaction time divided by correct rate (IES: Inverse efficiency score) was calculated to determine the extent to which their motor performance was influenced by their observations of others’ movements. IES in the incongruent condition were higher than those in the congruent condition, suggesting that the automatic imitation tendency is observed regardless of age. We examined the age-related changes in the tendency of automatic imitation, showing that the tendency of automatic imitation in people aged 70-79 years old is stronger than in people aged 20-29 years old. This result suggests that people aged 70 years and older may be more influenced by others when performing an exercise while observing the movements of others than people in other age groups.