Constraints and the Development of Body Systems

Question 1

constraint

Answer 1

a characteristic of the organism, environment or task that encourages some movements while discouraging others

Question 2

individual constraints

Answer 2

constraint that is:
a person’s unique physical and mental characteristics

ex; height, weight, leg length and weight, leg muscle strength, reaction time, attentional focus and motivation, fear of heights

Question 3

individual constraints: body systems

Answer 3

interactions among body systems give rise to motor behavior

changes in body systems across the lifespan drive motor development

ex; sensory and nervous systems –> muscular system –> body

Question 4

task constraints

Answer 4

constraint that is:
-outside the organism
- specific to the task

ex; rules of a sport, properties of task-specific equipment, such as: length and design of a walking cane, height of a basketball hoop

Question 5

environmental constraints

Answer 5

which constraint:
properties of environment not specific to the task

ex; gravity, temperature, humidity, light level, ground surface, sociocultural environment

Question 6

rate limiter

Answer 6

an individual constraint that holds back or slows the emergence of a motor behavior

ex; muscle strength
- muscle strength is a rate limiter for head movements in a newborn infant
- muscle strength is a constraint but NOT a
_____ for playing the piano in typically developing young adults

Question 7

both

Answer 7

which of the following determine the capability of someone to balance a stick on their fingertip?

1. the task constraint of stick length
2. individual constraints related visual motor abilities
3. both
4. neither

Question 8

transduction

Answer 8

the conversion of one form of energy into another

ex; energy from light is ____ into electrical activity of photoreceptors in the retina of the eye

Question 9

sensation

Answer 9

the initial neural activity triggered by a stimulus

Question 10

sensory receptors

Answer 10

specialized cells or sub-cellular structures that transduce an environmental stimulus into electrical activity that can be interpreted by the nervous system

Question 11

perception

Answer 11

a multistage process that takes place in the brain and includes selecting, processing, organizing, and integrating information received from the senses

“meaning from the sensation”

Question 12

vestibular system

Answer 12

key sensory system:
movement & orientation of head

Question 13

vision

Answer 13

key sensory system:
light

Question 14

proprioception

Answer 14

key sensory system (somatosensation):
- muscle lengths
- muscle and joint forces

Question 15

cutaneous sensation

Answer 15

key sensory system (somatosensation):
- touch
- temperature
- vibration
- etc

Question 16

visual acuity

Answer 16

the ability to perceive fine visual patterns

changes across the lifespan
- at birth: about 40 times worse than young adult
- young adult is age 4 - 6 years
- gradual decline from age 20 to 50 years
- more rapid decline from age 60 to 80 years

Question 17

visual accommodation

Answer 17

the ability to focus on near and far objects

changes across the life span
At birth: no accommodation
- best visual acuity for objects 7-10 inches away
- probably cannot see objects beyond 20 inches

At 4 months: accommodation over wide range of distances

At 6 months: accommodation like a young adult

Question 18

presbyopia

Answer 18

diminished ability to focus on near objects such as when reading

• “my arms are not long enough to read the newspaper”
• common over the age of 40 years
• by age 60 years: no accommodation; presbyopia

Question 19

labyrinths

Answer 19

fluid-filled cavities of the inner ear

Question 20

vestibular system

Answer 20

this system detects:
- rotation of head