| Abstract: | The principles of dynamical systems were used to study the effects of changing internal (i.e., developing subsystems) and external (i.e., task demands) constraints on the development of jumping. Children, 3, 5, 7, and 9 years old, and 3 groups of adults—of average skill, skilled in volleyball, and skilled in gymnastics—were filmed performing two different tasks, a standing long jump and a vertical jump. The results revealed that despite changes in both external and internal constraints, there were no differences in the pattern of coordination for jumping. Differences were found in the position and magnitude variables. Clearly, the constraints manipulated here were insufficient to disrupt the stability of the jump's coordination. We suggest that these results indicate that jumping is a stable movement organization that transcends the changes in constraints associated with developing subsystems and particular task demands. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
