Chapter 1 part 3

Question 1

In Schmidt and Wrisberg’s Motor learning and performance flowchart, the input is followed by 3 boxes, What are they and what do they represent?

Answer 1

Stimulus Identification–identify idea (input)
Response selection–Decide what to do with it.
Response programming–execute it.

Question 2

What are the 4 stages of Schmidt and Wrisberg’s Motor Learning and Performance closed loop?

Answer 2

Executive (after input)
Effector
Feedback (after output)
Comparator

Question 3

What are the stages and meaning of the simple open-loop control system of Schmidt and Wrisberg’s Motor learning and Performance theory schema?

Answer 3

Input
Executive–Instructions (stages of information processing)
Effector (the motor program and peripheral motor system)
Output.

Question 4

How do the Executive and Effector stages break up to create the Expanded Open-loop Control System? 6

Answer 4

Input

EXECUTIVE
Stimulus identification
Response selection
Response programming

EFFECTOR
Motor program
Spinal cord
Muscles

Output

Question 5

Motor Programs as Open-Loop Control Systems

How do the stages of processing develop the motor program?
Practice enables the motor program to improve in what ways?

Answer 5

The stages of processing are used to develop the motor program by determining the action to initiated.

With practice, A program is capable of CONTROLLING LONGER SEQUENCES of action, and movements become more elaborate.

Question 6

Where are motor programs stored? Where are motor programs used?

Once in motor program is initiated, how much attention does it need to operate?

When information is learned very well how much time is needed for response programming compared to new information, And what does well-learned information afford the person?

Answer 6

Motor programs are stored in long-term memory (retrieved when needed) for use in short-term memory.

Once a program is initiated, the program requires no more conscious thought.

The better information is learned, the less time is needed for response programming; performer can focus on higher-level cognitive functions.

Question 7

What is the evidence for supporting motor programs?

Provide 4

Answer 7

Reaction time and movement complexity.
De-afferentation experiments of locusts and cats.
When the movement of a limb is mechanically blocked, the brain still runs the full motor program.
Anticipatory postural control.

Question 8

Reaction Time
How does reaction time react to increased movement complexity?
What are the additional components that the CNS deals with?

Answer 8

The action time increases as movement complexity increases. (as complexity increases, so does reaction Time… More time to plan)

Additional components...
Additional elements
Coordination of more limbs
Increased duration of movement
(Systems approach does not explain this)

Question 9

De-afferentation

When a monkey’s afferent sensory nerves were de-afferented, what did the monkeys do?

Answer 9

The monkey was still able to perform his prelearned task to press a certain button even though he could not see his hand.
Fine motor control and manipulation were impaired though.

Question 10

Using EMG, what did researchers discover when a limb was mechanically blocked?
activity?
feedback?
motor program?

Answer 10

After mechanically blocking a limb using electromyography, activity is exactly the same as when limbs are not blocked.

There is no feedback from the moving limbs because the limbs can’t move, yet there seems to be a motor program.

Question 11

What is the Triphasic pattern of a motor program?

How is this significant in a mechanically blocked situation?

Answer 11

Agonist, Antagonist, Agonist
Tricep extends, Biceps counter, Treceps extend a little bit more.

Once a rapid mvt is initiated in an open-loop fashion, it is performed without further feedback modifications. In the blocked situation, there is no need for the antagonist burst, suggesting it was pre-programmed.

Question 12

Anticipatory Postural Control.
Explain how feedforward postural adjustments are integrated into motor programs?

How do reflexes come into this?

Answer 12

Postural muscles are built into the movement and sensory component of the back. The back moves first and input from the back goes to the brain before everything else. Postural control and the desired movement are programmed into motion.

If a reflexive movement occurs, the extremity (arm) will move before the back.

If it’s

Question 13

Central Pattern Generator
What is it? What does it produce? What triggers it?
How is it different form Motor Programs?

Answer 13

Centrally located control mechanism.
Produces genetic, repetitive actions.
Triggered by stimulus.

CPG relates to more genetically defined movements
Motor programs involve learned activities.

Question 14

Name and define two problems with Motor Program Theory.

What is the solution to these 2 problems?

Answer 14

Novelty Problem–how is the program learned the first time if it is a genetic program?

Storage Problem–If we stored every variation of throwing, there would not be enough room for everything.

solution: A Generalized Motor Program–we don’t have a throwing program for every discrete situation. We have a general program that can be adjusted as needed for each situation.

Question 15

Generalized Motor Program…

….suggests that there is a store what instead of a specific movement?

….allows what in order to generalize the program to produce various patterns to meet the demands of the task?

Answer 15

Pattern of movement

Flexibility to modify

Question 16

What 5 things must a generalized motor program include?

Answer 16

1. Particular muscles needed.
2. Order in which muscles are to be activated.
3. Relative force of muscle contraction.
4. Relative timing and sequencing of these contractions.
5. Duration of the respective contractions.

Question 17

Generalized motor program surface feature/parameters all have what 4 variations?

Answer 17

variations in...
time
amplitude
limb used
muscles used

Question 18

What are the invariant features of a generalized motor program?

Answer 18

Things that can’t be changed that help us recognize that mvt program. Features that separate two programs even though they are a lot alike.

Question 19

Invariant features are part of the deep structure.

Define Deep Structure

Answer 19

The fundamental structure of an action, made up of the sequencing and relative timing that defines the movement pattern.

Question 20

What are the invariant features of the deep structure? 3

Answer 20

Spatial pattern of the mvt.
Order in which components of the movement are performed.
Relative timing of mvt components. (swing/stance of walking would be relative timing. Seems to be the key of invariant features.)