Lec 1-3 Flashcards
what are the 3 subdisciplines in the field of motor behaviour
- motor control
- motor learning/skill acquisition
- motor development
define motor control
Motor control: the process by which the nervous system plans and executes movement
define motor learning
motor learning: the process by which relatively permanent changes result from practice and experience, inferred through changes in capability!
what cannot be directly observed, only inferred
motor learning
how are motor development and motor learning different
motor development is about change in behaviour due to aging, learning is not. Motor development can be directly observed, while motor learning is only inferred.
Motor behaviour is a consequence of what constraints?
- person
- task
- environment
what can be measured through observations? (behaviour or learning)
behaviour
what are some examples of person constraints?
shape, height, motivation, personality, weight
what are some examples of task constraints?
type of race/sport, competition, rules, coaches/instructors
what are some examples of environment constraints?
temperature, size of pool/field etc, weather, audience
with something like a soccer goalie, what are some examples of each of the three types of constraints?
- person - arm reach/length, height, age, motivation
- task - competition, rules…
- environment - audience, weather
Why do we study motor behaviour
- Helps to instruct and practice for the most efficient learning and performance
- Helps to understand why people act, and predict how they will act to prevent errors (work place safety)
What are the two types of methods used to study motor behaviour
- movement and eye tracking (video, 3D motion tracking, eye tracking)
- muscle and brain activity (EMG, EEG, fMRI is for function not activity?)
What is EMG?
electromyography: a measure of muscle activity that uses surface electrode recording to take index of electrical signals within muscle
What is EEG
electroencephalography: a measure of brain activity that uses surface electrodes that detect electrical signals
What are the advantages to EEG?
good temporal resolution allows us to see immediate changes
What are the disadvantages of EEG
Only captures activity at cortical surface, so it is spatially limited. We cannot see specific brain regions
What is fMRI
Functional magnetic resonance imaging: a measure of brain function by examining blood flow to different areas of the brain
What signal does fMRI measure during activity?
BOLD = Blood oxygen level dependent
what are the advantages to fMRI
high spatial resolution
what are the disadvantages to fMRI
Not good temporal resolution and expensive
What is TMS
Transcranial magnetic stimulation: a tool used to probe brain function **NOT a measure!
How does TMS work
It generates a pulsed magnetic field. Neurons in specific parts of the brain depolarize and hyperpolarize, either exciting (contraction) or inhibiting (causing temporary virtual lesions)
Why is it important to define and categorize skills?
because the type of skill impacts:
1. Measurements (how and what)
2. Instructions
3. Theories of motor control and learning
define a skill (as action/task)
skill (task): a goal directed task or action
Define a skill (performance indicator)
Skill (performance): the ability to bring about some
1. pre determined end result with
2. maximum certainty and
3. minimum outlay of energy/time
what are the criteria of a motor skill
- goal oriented
- voluntary
- body and or limb movements are required to accomplish the goal
- result of practice (needs to be relearned and learned)
What are the 3 types of motor skill classification systems
- size of musculature required (gross vs fine)
- time defined (discrete vs serial vs continuous)
- environment predictability (open vs closed)
how do we differentiate fine vs gross motor skills
fine: requires greater control of small muscles, typically precise skills
gross: requires greater control of large muscles, with less precision
why is it best to think of skills as a continuum?
because many motor skills require a coordination of different conditions! (large and small muscles for example)
What is discrete vs continuous task
Discrete has a well defined start and end (throwing, striking a match, shifting a gear)
continuous is ongoing (swimming, running etc)
What are critical questions to ask when classifying motor skills
- could the action be performed while large muscles are constrained?
- is there a clear beginning and end?
- does the performer initiate the action or respond to the environment
what is a serial skill
serial skill: a string of discrete skills that form a more complex action. order is important for success
What is a closed motor skill
- stable and predictable environment
- object does not change during performance
- self-paced. performer controls the situation (object is acted upon and the context does not change)
What is an open motor skill
- unpredictable, changing environment
- object or context is in motion during performance
- externally paced. performer responds to the environment
what are some examples of closed vs open motor skills
closed: archer
semi predictable: slacklining
open: wrestling
how can we change baseball into a closed motor skill?
T ball
how can we measure skills from a performance perspective?
- speed
- accuracy
- consistency
- process
what are characteristics of proficiency
max speed and accuracy
what different components do we measure when looking at speed?
- reaction time
- movement time
- total response time
define reaction time
reaction time: the interval between presentation of unanticipated stimulus and the beginning of the response
define movement time
movement time: the interval reflecting the movement from initiation to end. It reflects the time to transport the limb
define total response time
Response time: the interval including reaction time and movement time, from unanticipated stimulus to end of movement
When measuring reaction time, why is it important to have an unanticipated stimulus?
Unanticipated means that you get a “purer” reaction time that encompasses all of the cognitive processing time. With anticipated, you have a minor level of processing before measurement, and you lose that data
How can we measure response time?
EMG, video, etc.
In a race, is the “go” gun usually the only signal given in a race?
No! There is also the cue of other runners. Their movement signifies that the race has begun
Which measure, RT or MT will give us most insight into the time to process information?
reaction time, as it represents the cognitive processing of information, while movement time represents the physical reaction post CNS planning and execution
What is the order of the events and key terms when measuring response time
warning stimulus to get ready, foreperiod, go stimulus, reaction time, start point, movement response, end point
what is the foreperiod?
the interval between the warning stimulus and the go stimulus
Reaction time is the measure of what?
information processing time
movement time is the measure of what?
limb transport time
What is the reaction time interval
the time between the go stimulus and start of movementwh
what is the interval for movement time
the time between movement start and end
what is the interval for response time
the time between go stimulus and movement end (+foreperiod)
How can the EMG break up reaction time?
It can show us the individual signals and contractions of muscle, so we can see the exact moment we get an efferent signal to initate movement
What is EMG
EMG is a recording of electrical activity in muscle/groups of muscles
What are the spikes in EMG readings?
represents motor neuron activity, aka muscle contraction
what is the interval for central processing time when using EMG?
essential the reaction time interval, after the go stimulus and before EMG activity
What is the difference between pre-motor RT and motor RT
pre motor RT is a purer measure of information processing time. The delay between go and EMG activity
What is error score?
it is a measure that provides information about performance accuracy, bias and consistency
What is absolute error
absolute error: how far a person was from the target
what measures of error are absolute? Which are not?
absolute = AE, VE, RE, not = CE
What is mean absolute error? What is its equation?
Mean AE: mean error score across a series of trials.
AE = sum of I xi-T I / n
What is constant error?
constant error: a measure of how far away from the target and which direction. Represents directional bias
What is mean CE? What is its equation?
mean CE: represents average magnitude and deviation
Mean CE = sum (xi-T)/n
What is variable error?
variable error: the spread of scores about your own average score OR the spread of errors around your own average error
What is radial error?
radial error: radial distance from the target
What is mean RE? What is its equation?
Mean RE: mean error score for person across series of trials.
RE = square root (x^2+y^2)
In continuous tasks, where the goal is to stay within a target zone, what is the performance measure used?
absolute error
What is kinematics?
kinematics: observed when something changes over time, and not just the end result
what is EG?
i think a goniometer
what are the types of kinematic measures? define each
displacement: change in spatial position in one or more dimensions over time
velocity: rate of change in spatial position in one or more dimensions over time
acceleration: change in velocity in one or more dimensions over time
When does peak velocity occur in a movement?
in smooth movements, peak velocity occurs halfway through movement. PV corresponds to 0.0 acceleration
What is secondary acceleration? What would it look like on a graph (acceleration and time), along with deceleration?
secondary acceleration: represents corrections to the original movement?
look up graph in notes
Define computations in kinesiology terms
Computations: what takes place between a stimulus and a response
what is the information processing approach?
An approach that follows the idea that internal and external input comes to the performer, processed, and then results in some output.
What are the fundamental assumptions of the information processing approach?
- processing slows us down
- deciding how to act slows us down
- planning a complex response slows us down
what are the 3 stages behind response execution?
- stimulus identification (detect and discriminate)
- Response selection
- Response programming
what is mental chronometry
a method that measures brain processing by comparing different RT tasks
Describe the types of RT task, and how many response s and stimuli they each have
simple = 1 stimulus, 1 response
choice = 1+ stimuli, 1+ responses
discriminative = 1+ stimulus, 1 response
Describe the stages within each type of RT task
simple = detect + program
choice = detect + discriminate + select + program
discriminative = detect + discriminate + program
what is subtractive logic
the logic is that if we know the RTs for two tasks, we can calculate the time for any of the individual stages
what assumption can be made from the subtractive method?
we assume that the information processing stages are independent and hence serial in nature
performing the triple jump is what type of skill?
serial (discrete)
riding a BMX bike is open or closed?
mostly open and some closed
what equipment is needed to measure premotor RT
EMG
constant error is best defined as a measure of…
bias
what stage is missing when going from SRT to a go/nogo RT task?
stimulus discrimination
according to hick’s law, rt increases at a constant amount every time the number of sr alternatives is …
doubled
reaction time _____ as the intensity of the stimulus _____
decreases, increases
does variability of the foreperiod in a RT situation affect spatial anticipation?
no - it affects temporal anticipation… when
what measure of brain activity gives us immediate changes?
EEG
what measure of brain/muscle activity takes a long time?
fMRI
which tool of measuring brain activity uses depolarization and hyper polarization of neurons
TMS
What kind of environment classification is slack lining?
mix of open and closed - self paced with a semipredictable environment
What are some critical classifications for skills as a TASK
- fine or gross
- open or closed
- discrete vs continuous
- motor or cognitive resources
how are the classifications of skill as a task vs performance different?
task and performance are the same, except task involves attention
In the book there is the discussion of false starts (p41) in sprinting. What appears to be the primary reason for the increases in RTs related to stages of information processing?
In those who have a false start, there is less temporal anticipation as to when the gun would go off. Temporal anticipation is a huge factor in decreasing response time, so without proper anticipation, they suffer RT costs
What do the a, b and N values represent in the Hick’s Law equation? What components of this equation would you expect to vary between individuals?
a= y intercept, simple RT where there is no choice, just one stimulus and one response. This corresponds to 0 bits of information (as it’s the intercept).
b= slope/gradient, cost of adding 1 bit of information or stated another way, the cost of doubling the number of S-R alternatives.
N=# S-R alternatives.
a and b both vary between individuals, depending on what an individual’s SRT is and how familiar or experienced they are with the task and relations between the stimulus-response pairings.
