Which statement about anticipatory postural control relative to other postural control is true?

• A. It involves more motor planning and greater action system activity
• B. It relies only on reflexes
• C. It occurs only after movement begins
• D. It is less coordinated than reactive control

Answer: (A)

Anticipatory postural control is the pre-programmed preparation of the body's posture to maintain balance before a voluntary movement or anticipated disturbance. This requires predicting what will happen and organizing a coordinated sequence of muscle activations across the trunk and limbs, which means more motor planning and engagement of broader action-system networks (such as premotor and supplementary motor areas, cerebellum, and related pathways).

Because it is planned in advance, it isn’t driven solely by reflexes or feedback after movement starts, and it tends to be highly coordinated to stabilize the body as movement unfolds. In contrast, reactive postural control relies on rapid responses after a perturbation, using more immediate sensory feedback and reflex pathways.