The Meaning of Manual Dexterity for the Workability of Older Employees
The main focus of this project is on the question of how age and expertise influence manual dexterity. In particular, we are interested in the capacity of older employees to enhance their fine motor performance through practice. The role of acquired expertise during workinglife will also be examined in this study.
We expect that the results of our study will create new possibilities for career changes for older employees from workplaces with high physical demands to workplaces whose demands are appropriate for older workers’ abilities.
To reach this goal, we investigate basic mechanisms responsible for age-related changes in manual dexterity as well as learning capacities (plasticity) in different age groups. Ap
plied methods include laboratory tests of performance in motor and tactile tasks that represent the main components of manual dexterity. Electroencephalography (EEG) is used to examine the neuronal mechanisms behind these phenomena.
This project was funded within the DFG Priority Program “Age-differentiated working systems”.