The Kinaesthetic Sensitivity Test (KST) was used to measure the development
of kinaesthetic acuity in adolescent boys. Thirty boys were tested longitu
dinally, at intervals of 6 months, between the ages of 11 1/2 and 14 years.
A second group of 20 boys was tested at the ages of 14 and 16 1/2 years. T
he findings were compared with existing normative data on 5- to 12-year-old
children and young adults, and they indicated improvement in kinaesthetic
acuity with age. Although the age effect is statistically significant only
in the older group, confidence intervals show that the rate of improvement
in both groups is comparable to improvement between the ages of 5 and 12 ye
ars. The reliability of the test is rather poor. The conclusion is that kin
aesthetic development continues throughout adolescence. Further, developmen
t is quite robust and detectable even with a fairly unreliable measurement
instrument. However, individual assessments should be interpreted with caut
ion.