Motor Learning & Control Flashcards

The act of executing a skill

A term used to describe the quality of a performance.

Implies that a high degree of proficiency.

1. It is goal oriented, meaning it is performed in order to achieve some objective.

2. Body and/or limb movements are required to accomplish the goal.

3. Those movements are voluntary. Reflexive actions do not meet this criteria.

4. Motor skills are developed as a result of practice. A skill must be learned or relearned.

Skills involving very precise movements, which are accomplished using smaller musculature.

Utilizes larger muscles, places less emphasis on precision, and is typically a result of multi-limb movements.

Based on the precision of movement and the corresponding size of the musculature required for their successful performance. Based on a continuum.

gross motor skill proficiency, fine motor skills

one whose beginning and end points are clearly defined.

Typically repetitive and continuous in nature; those whose beginning and ending points are either arbitrary or determined by some environmental factor (finish line) rather than by the task itself.

collective sequences of multiple discrete skills whose integrated performance as a serial skill is crucial for goal achievement.

Skills performed in stable, predictable environments. With closed skills, the performer controls the performance situation, because the object being acted on or the context in which the skill is being performed does not change.

Open skills are at the other end of the continuum, as they are performed in an unpredictable, ever-changing environment. In open skills, the performer will not be aware of what movement type is required until moments before making it

Determined by the predictability of the environment in which the skill is performed. Based on a continuum.

Determined based on the nature of their organization.

(1) the context in which they are performed (regulatory conditions) and (2) the action requirements of the skills. Combined, these two dimensions pro- vide insight into the processes involved in skill acquisition.

For any given skill, therefore, a number of environmental factors exist that specify the movement characteristics necessary for successful perfor- mance. These factors are known as regulatory conditions, and their determination may be used to differentiate skills.

do the regulatory conditions remain fixed or change with each performance attempt?

the action requirements of a skill, specifically with respect to body movement and object manipulation. In this context, body movement refers to whether the performer must change locations when performing the skill. A second determinant of action requirements is object manipulation. Some skills require the performer to manipulate objects or opponents.

1. Are the regulatory conditions stationary or in motion?
2. Do the regulatory conditions remain fixed (no inter-trial variability), or do they change (inter-trial variability) with each performance attempt?
3. Is the performer required to change locations or maintain body position when performing the task?
4. Does the task require the performer to manipulate an object or opponent?

Each person’s uniqueness is a function of relatively stable and enduring character- istics known as individual differences. Because of individual differences, teaching strategies will not be equally effective for all learners, and practitioners must identi- fy the best strategies to employ based on diverse learner needs and qualities.

Abilities are genetic traits that are prerequisite for skilled performance. Accordingly, the degree to which learners could potentially develop proficiency in a particular motor skill depends on whether they possess the necessary under- lying abilities.

Challenging the existence of a general motor ability, the specificity hypothesis proposed that, while individuals may inherit a large number of motor abilities, those abilities are independent of one another.

Behind this notion was the observation that accomplished athletes often picked up new skills quickly and excelled at numerous other skills without much practice. Therefore, it seemed reasonable to surmise that there ex- isted a high correlation between one’s level of general ability and one’s potential for skill proficiency at a variety of tasks.

In general, researchers have found low correlations between an individual’s performances of two different tasks (including those that appeared to be closely related), which supported the specificity hypothesis.

Fleishman’s taxonomy groups motor abilities in two categories: (1) perceptual motor abilities and (2) physical proficiency abilities,

Perceptual Motor Ability; Ability for highly controlled movement adjustments, especially those involving larger muscle groups

Perceptual Motor Ability; Ability to make continuous speed and direction adjustments with precision when tracking

Perceptual Motor Ability; Ability to control manipulations of large objects using arms and hands.

Perceptual Motor Ability; Ability to control manipulations of small objects primarily through use of fingers

Perceptual Motor Ability; Ability to make precise arm–hand positioning movements where involvement of strength and speed are minimal

Perceptual Motor Ability; Ability to move the wrist and fingers rapidly

Perceptual Motor Ability; Ability to direct hand movements quickly and accurately at a small object in space

Perceptual Motor Ability; Ability to coordinate numerous limb movements simultaneously

Perceptual Motor Ability; Ability to select a response rapidly from a number of alternatives, as in choice reaction time situations

Perceptual Motor Ability; Ability to initiate a rapid response to an unexpected stimulus

Perceptual Motor Ability; Ability to make gross rapid limb movement without regard for reaction time

Physical Proficiency Abilities; Ability to generate maximum force against a weighty external object

Physical Proficiency Abilities; Muscular endurance or ability to exert force repeatedly.

Physical Proficiency Abilities; Muscular power or ability to create maximum effort by combining force and velocity

Physical Proficiency Abilities; Dynamic strength of trunk muscles

Physical Proficiency Abilities; Ability to move trunk and back muscles through large range of motion.

Physical Proficiency Abilities; Ability to make repeated, rapid flexing movements.

Physical Proficiency Abilities; Ability to coordinate numerous movements simultaneously while the body is in motion

Physical Proficiency Abilities; Ability to maintain balance without visual cues.

Cardiovascular endurance or ability to sustain effort.