Poor estimates of motor variability are associated with longer grooved pegboard times for middle-aged and older adults

Goal-directed movements that involve greater motor variability are performed with an increased risk that the intended goal will not be achieved. The ability to estimate motor variability during such actions varies across individuals and influences how people decide to move about their environment. The purpose of our study was to identify the decision-making strategies used by middle-aged and older adults when performing two goal-directed motor tasks and to determine if these strategies were associated with the time to complete the grooved pegboard test. Twenty-one middle-aged (48 ± 6 yr; range 40–59 yr, 15 women) and 20 older adults (73 ± 4 yr; range 65–79 yr, 8 women) performed two target…