10. Motor Learning & Performance Flashcards
How does info processing influence decision making?
- Through our senses (primarily vision)
- Info sent to brain
- Make best decision, adjustments based on info
How do Neuromuscular Systems influence Movement Control Systems?
- How the brain gets body to do the movements you want in the manner you want
- Can now use modern tech (fMRI, PET scans) to get insight as to the workings of the brain
How does Proprioception influence Motor Programs?
- Comes w/ practice
- Using brain to control body & know where it is in space
- Better proprioception = improved motor programs
How does anticipation timing influence attention?
Attention & focus is crucial for skill honing & execution
How do individual differences influence motor abilities?
- Diff people have diff abilities
- Need to know how to work w/ the indivual
Skills vs. Abilities
- About 50 abilities the human body can do
- Countless skills one can learn using abilities
Explain the importance of skill presentation.
- Expert demonstration is important for athletes to see how a skill is supposed to be performed
- Professional coach vs. Peer coach
- Good to make elite athletes beginners for novel skills
What is the significance of feedback for skill learning?
When & how you give feedback when learning a skill is crucial to how one learns it
How does knowledge of results affect the transfer of learning?
Sometimes knowing the outcome of movement help guide the movement
What are the different types of transfer of learning?
- Across the body = dominant to non-dominant hand
- Between skills = highest amount of transfer when the skills are similar
How does memory influence motor learning?
- Uses previous movements and experiences
- Helps w/ transfer of learning
How does motivation influence motor learning?
Motivated learner will learn more efficiently
Define reflex.
- Simplest functioning unit of nervous activity
- Relatively constant pattern of response or behavior that is similar for a given stimulus
- Genetic
- Automatic
What criteria need to be met for something to be an instinct?
- Unlearned
- Uniform = movement always looks the same
- Universal = has to look the same across species
Define skill.
Action or task that has a goal and requires voluntary body and/or limb movement to achieve goal
Define ability.
General capacity of an individual
Define motor ability.
Related to movement and motor skills
What are the components of skill?
- Complex
- Cognitive
- Sensation & perception
- Muscular/Motor
- Muscular output/posture
Open vs. Closed motor skill. Examples?
- Open = a lot of degrees of freedom, variation, room for error (surfing, dribbling a ball through defenders)
- Closed = few degrees of freedom, always the same, less room for error (free throws)
Discrete vs. Continuous motor skill. Examples?
- Discrete = distinct beginning & end to movement (spiking or shooting a ball)
- Continuous = has no beginning or end (running, cycling, swimming)
Gross vs. Fine motor skill. Examples?
- Gross = uses more general motor skills
- Fine = uses fine motor skills
Cognitive vs. Motor motor skill.
- Cognitive = requires more thought
- Motor = more effort required than thought
What makes a motor skill serial? Examples?
- Put a series of individual movement skills together to make a movement
- Break down overall skill into smaller skills in order to master
- Ex) gymnastics, figure skating, pole vaulting, layup
Define learning a motor skill.
Process (unending) of acquiring the capability for produced skill actions
What are the requirements that must be met in order to learn a motor skill?
- Set of underlying events, occurrences, or changes happen when practice improves skill
- Occurs as a direct result of practice or experience
- Can’t be observed directly (performance, behavior is observed)
- Produces relatively permanent changes in the capability for skilled behavior
What are the layers of the scientific method?
- Observation/Description
- Causal relationship (vs. correlational)
- Generalization (across events, situations, samples, times)
- Application
What do performance curves show us about motor learning?
- Relationship between # of trials and performance
- Performance generally increases w/ # of trials
- Can take diff slopes depending on the individual & skill being learned
What is the most common way to represent performance data regarding learning progress during practice?
Performance curves
What is Snoddy’s Law of Practice?
Performance curves that are steep at first then become more gradual later are one of the most common features of learning any task
Are performance curves the same as learning curves?
NO
Ceiling effects vs. Floor effects (examples)
- Ceiling = highest level humans can measure/achieve (high jump, weight lifting)
- Floor = trying to get numbers (time, errors) as low as possible (sprinting, body awareness lab)
What are the effects of plateaus on learning?
- Not much
- Still practicing & learning, but not improving performance
What are the different types of performance curves?
- Linear
- Negative Acceleration
- Positive acceleration
- S-shaped
List the reasons for plateaus.
- Injury
- Fatigue (mental, physical)
- Motivation
- Lack of confidence
- Age
- Lack of challenge (boredom)
- Disbelief that you can improve beyond a certain point
What are performance effects?
Learning
What are temporary effects? (+/-)
- Vanish w/ time
- Positive = elevation of performance due to guidance or coaching
- Degrading performance due to fatigue, boredom, overwork
