3.1 Motor Skills

Question 1

Skill definitions

Answer 1

“A motor skill is an activity that involves voluntary muscular movement with the correct degree of muscular control to complete a reasonable complex predetermined task”

A motor skill is a task that involves sequences of movements that are reasonably complex to the individual performing them

Question 2

Sub routines

Answer 2

In order to perform a reasonably complex motor skill successfully one needs to be able to breakdown the skill into components or parts these are subroutines

Question 3

Skilled movement

Answer 3

Occurs when all of the subroutines of a skill are performed the correct sequence with the correct timing

Question 4

Motor program

Answer 4

A skill may be seen as a whole plan that specifies the timing and sequence of the total movement. The whole plan is the motor program

A motor program is the set of instruction held in memory that is sent to muscles

A motor program is an organised set of indivisible motor skills or subroutines that result in the correct production of a specific skill

Question 5

Types of movement

Answer 5

The classification is based on whether the movement has a specific beginning and end

Discrete
Continuous
Serial

Question 6

Discrete motor skills

Answer 6

Involve movements of brief duration

Have a distinct beginning and end

Throw, catch or kick

Question 7

Serial

Answer 7

Are a series or group of discrete skills string together to create a more complicated skill or action

Gymnastics routine, triple jump

Question 8

Continuous

Answer 8

Motor skills that bring together in a movement sequence and usually are repetitive and do not have a clear beginning and end

Question 9

Closed skills

Answer 9

Closed motor skill - skills that are performed in a predicative environment

The skill performed has usually been predicted

Closed skills are internally paced meaning they are determined by the performer

Gymnastics, darts, baseball pitch

Question 10

Open Skills

Answer 10

Skills that are performed in an environment that is constantly changing

This open environment forces the athlete to constantly adapt their basic

Question 11

Fine vs Gross

Answer 11

This classification is based on the number and or size of muscles or muscle groups that are involved in an activity

Question 12

Fine

Answer 12

Cooperative use of small groups of muscles

Sight and touch senses engaged

Balance the cue of force and fine touch

Handwriting, archery

Question 13

Gross

Answer 13

Cooperative use of large muscle actions that result in a coordinated movement

Dancing, throwing, footy tackle

Question 14

Combinations

Answer 14

Many activities are made of a combination of both fine and gross motor skills

Throwing a ball is a gross motor skill however throwing a curve in baseball involves precise manipulation of the ball

Question 15

Closed / open skill continuu

Answer 15

Some skills can be classified as more open or more closed

A skill that is open can be very different to another skill that is also open

Question 16

Learning closed skills

Answer 16

Closed skills are easier to learn. The environment is more predictable and the learner can focus on the subroutine without having to worry about external factors. Can be performed at performers on pace

Question 17

Learning open skills

Answer 17

When learning a open skill the skill should be closed down as much as possible. Remove as many external factors as possible

Question 18

Closed / open continuum

Answer 18

Classifications of motor skills as open or closed depends on the performers adjustments to the environment in which the skills are to be performed skills may lie n a continuum between the 2

Question 19

Fitt and Posner stages of learning

Answer 19

Learning can only be observed over a period of time
Practice should progress through gradual levels of difficulty and should only progress further if shown consistent achievement at that level.

To practice under game situations I’d of critical performance

Very important to replicate game like performances as much as possible for effective learning to take place

Sometimes not at all learning translates into the development of a sound motor program. Learning incorrect or inefficient actions may be learned

Question 20

Stages of learning

Answer 20

There are three distinct stages of learning that an individual will go through. The stages in order are
Cognitive
Associative
Autonomous

Question 21

Cognitive

Answer 21

“What to do”
Conveyance and acquisition of new information

Trial and error

Verbal visual motor

Learning skill objectives

Processing environment variables

Understanding skill

Question 22

Associative

Answer 22

“How to do it”

Translation of declarative knowledge into procedural knowledge

Difficult and awkward

Practice phase

Eliminating mistakes

Improving selective attention

Question 23

Autonomous

Answer 23

“Do it”
Performance

Cognitive demands minimal

Attention focus can be external

Ability to self correct

Unconscious

Question 24

Factors affecting skill acquisition

Answer 24

Age and maturity 
Gender 
Heredity 
Motivation 
Quality of instruction