Final answer:
Age is typically a predictor of motor ability, as aging can bring changes in muscle and neural control, which in turn affects motor tasks. Older adults may experience degenerative changes in the brain, impacting motor abilities and muscle fiber composition also changes with age.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement "Age is a predictor of motor ability" is typically considered to be true. As individuals age, there are often changes in motor abilities, influenced by a variety of factors including muscle mass, strength, flexibility, and neural control. While not all senses increase with age, motor tasks can become more challenging due to factors like the degeneration of corticostriatal connections, which may lead to decreased speed and increased errors in motor tasks as observed in older adults.
For example, researchers Forstmann and colleagues (2011) found that older participants made more errors and were slower in reporting the direction of movement of a set of dots, compared to younger participants. This was attributed to degenerative changes in the brain. Additionally, sports scientists have identified changes in the proportion of slow-twitch to fast-twitch muscle fibers as people age, which has implications for motor abilities and athletic performance.