Exam 1 Questions

Question 1

Motor Performance

Answer 1

The observable attempt of an individual to
produce a voluntary action. This performance
is affected by many factors
(i.e., motivation,
arousal, fatigue, etc.), thereby resulting in
performance fluctuations that may be temporary
in nature

Question 2

Motor Learning

Answer 2

Changes in internal processes that determine an
individual’s capability for producing a motor
task. These changes are classified as being of a
“relatively permanent” nature.

Question 3

The following factors play a role in determining skill:

Answer 3

Skill = Speed x Accuracy x Form x Adaptability

Question 4

Major Features of Skill

Answer 4

Some desired environmental goal is present.
•Being skilled implies meeting the desired
goal with maximum certainty.
•Minimization of the energy required for
performance.
•Achieve goal in minimum time.

Question 5

Notable Individuals

Answer 5

Paul M. Fitts (1912-1965)
•Franklin M. Henry (1904-1982)
•Jack A. Adams (1922-2010)
•Richard A. Schmidt (1941- 
2015

Question 6

Classification of Motor

Responses

Answer 6

Discrete, Continuous, and Serial

Question 7

Discrete

Answer 7

Identifiable beginning and end (e.g., tennis serve).

Question 8

Continuous

Answer 8

Unidentifiable beginning and

end (e.g., peddling a bicycle).

Question 9

Serial

Answer 9

Made up of a series of discrete actions strung together in time to makesome “whole” task (e.g., pole vaulting in track and
field).

Question 10

Open Skills

Answer 10

Environment is unpredictable (e.g.,

basketball).

Question 11

Closed Skills

Answer 11

Environment is predictable (e.g., swimming).

Question 12

What are the measurement fundamentals?

Answer 12

Objective, Reliable, and Valid

Question 13

Objective

Answer 13

– Un-biased

–Based on readily available criteria

Question 14

Reliable

Answer 14

–consistent and stable

–Test – Re-test

Question 15

Valid

Answer 15

–Actually measures criteria of interest

–Related to dependent variable

Question 16

Describing Movement Characteristics

Answer 16

Movement kinematics, Position or Location, Velocity, Acceleration, and EMG Recordings

Question 17

Movement Kinematics

Answer 17

Describe movement of the limbs and/or the entire body (w/o regard for forces and
masses involved)

Question 18

Position or Location

Answer 18

The location of the

limbs during a movement

Question 19

Velocity

Answer 19

The rate of change in the limb position.

Question 20

Acceleration

Answer 20

The rate of change in

velocity.

Question 21

EMG Recordings

Answer 21

The involvement of a muscle in a movement by recording the electrical activity associated with its contraction

Question 22

Error Measures

Answer 22

Constant Error (CE)
Variable Error (VE)
Absolute Error (AE)
Absolute Constant Error (ACE)

Question 23

Constant Error

Answer 23

Average Score or Arithmetic Mean

Question 24

Variable Error

Answer 24

Consistency or Standard Deviation

Question 25

Absolute Error

Answer 25

Absolute Deviation or Mean of Absolute Values

Question 26

Absolute Constant Error

Answer 26

Absolute Value of the Mean

Question 27

Why have more than one error - Constant Error

Answer 27

–Average score

–In general where did they hit

Question 28

Why have more than one error - Variable Error

Answer 28

–Consistent or inconsistent?

–How representative is the CE

Question 29

Why have more than one error - Absolute Error

Answer 29

–Average distance from target

–Ignores direction of error

Question 30

Reaction Time

Answer 30

Time between onset of stimulus to the initiation of the response

Question 31

Movement Time

Answer 31

Time between initiation of the response to its completion.

Question 32

The Speed-Accuracy Trade-

Off Operating Characteristic

Answer 32

People optimize by trading accuracy for 
speed or vice versa.
•Must measure number of errors or the 
accuracy of responses when studying RT 
and/or MT measures

Question 33

Secondary task/distractor task.

Answer 33

Based on the theory that people have limited
attention capacity. Performance of a
distracting task will disrupt performance of the less skilled individual

Question 34

Measuring and Evaluating

Relationships

Answer 34

Correlation Coefficient (r) – The strength and direction of relationships.
Sign indicates direction of relationship.
•Absolute size indicates the strength of
the relationship

Question 35

Correlation Coefficient Information

Answer 35

Can square the r value and multiply by 100 to get the % variance shared by two
tests. Roughly, this is the extent to which the score on one test will predict
the score on the second test.

Question 36

Two Approaches to Studying

Skills

Answer 36

Task-Oriented and Process-Oriented

Question 37

Task-Oriented

Answer 37

The purpose is to study task

performance only.

Question 38

Process-Oriented

Answer 38

The purpose is to study

the mental processes and mechanisms underlying performance.