Lecture 1.1 Flashcards
What does the term “motor memory” suggest?
suggests that the neuromuscular or sensorimotor system (CNS) “recalls” similar motor programs, thus allowing for an ease in expression of those familiar programs and corresponding forces.
Motor behaviour can be subdivided into motor learning, motor control, and motor development. What do these 3 terms mean?
Motor learning =
➔ Change in internal processes associated with practice or experience leading to an individual’s capability for movement production (skilled performance).
➔ Emphasizes the acquisition of motor skills, the performance enhancement of learned or highly experienced motor skills, or the reacquisition of skills that are difficult to perform or cannot be performed due to injury, disease etc.
➔ Motor learning includes the behavioural and/or neurological changes that occur as motor skills are learned by an individual, and the variables that influence those changes.
➔ Must be inferred from observation of stable levels of performance.
➔ Typically improves as a function of practice or experience.
➔ “A relatively permanent change in behaviour as a result of practice or experience”.
➔ “Use it or Lose it”
➔ 3 components: Acquisition, Retention, Transfer
Motor control = Underlying mechanisms responsible for movement.
➔ Integrating & processing of sensory information to produce a reasonable motor outcome.
➔ Hence, the “Sensorimotor System”
Motor Control encompasses neural, physical and behavioural aspects of movement (Schmidt & Lee, 1999)
Furthermore, it encompasses everything related to and involved in performing a movement related task or
objective.
Why would it be important to study the “behavioural” aspect of motor control?
- Certain behaviours can cause human to be reckless
Motor development =
➔ Changes in movement behaviour that are as a function of growth and maturation.
➔ Studies human development from infancy to old age with specific interest with issues related to either motor “learning or control.”
➔ Growth vs. Motor Development?
- Motor development is part of physical development, and refers to the growth in the ability of children to use their bodies and physical skills. Motor development can be divided into gross motor skills and fine motor skills.
What is the difference between gross motor skill and fine motor skill? Give examples
Gross motor skill
➔ Primary control of movement by large muscle(s)
➔ Proximal
➔ e.g. running
Fine motor skill
➔ Primary control of movement by small muscle(s)
➔ Distal
➔ e.g. writing
What is the difference between discrete skills, serial skills, and continuous skills? Give examples.
Discrete skills have distinct beginning and end points i.e. throwing a dart, flipping a light switch, shooting a rifle
Serial skills have several discrete actions sequenced together i.e. hammering a nail, assembly-line work, gymnastics routine
Continuous skills have no distinct beginning or end i.e. steering a cart, swimming, tracking task
What is the difference between open skill and closed skill? Give examples.
Open skill
➔ Unpredictable
➔ Performer must act according to action of object or characteristics of the environment.
➔ e.g. running in Downtown at 1 am on a Friday, playing soccer, wrestling, chasing a rabbit
Closed skill
➔ Predictable
➔ The object waits to be acted upon by the performer.
➔ e.g. running on a motorless treadmill, gymnastics, archery, typing
Give examples of semi predictable environment
Walking a tightrope, steering a car, playing chess
Differentiate between motor skill and cognitive skill. Give examples.
Motor Skill: High degree of movement involved with less cognitive involvement.
Quality of movement emphasized
Cognitive Skill: Lower degree of movement and more decision driven
Quality of decision emphasized.
Describe a situation where a motor skill should be emphasized over a cognitive skill.
Chess vs. Pole Vault? - Which would involve a greater “relative” importance in each of these activities?
After understanding how to classify motor skills, behaviour and control, outline 3 reasons as to how the classification of motor skills can be used in a professional, clinical or fitness based setting?
Studies by biologists and physiologists concerning the fundamental mechanisms of neural control of muscle, muscle force production, and the study of nerves and the nervous system
To diagnose an injury from the performance of a discrete or serial skill, like how did
When and why might you classify and study motor skills in the real world?
Using the discussed classifications, categorize the following as you deem appropriate:
A. Pole vaulting
B. Cycling
C. Handstand on a moving bicycle
D. Putting a golf ball
E. Throwing a dodgeball during a dodgeball game.
Consider
➔ Open-Closed
➔ Discrete-Serial-Continuous
➔ Motor-Cognitive
➔ Gross-Fine
T or F: If you show your answer in empirical evidence (information acquired by observation or experimentation), it is hard to be wrong
True
T or F: If you show your answer in empirical evidence (information acquired by observation or experimentation), it is hard to be wrong
True
T or F: The better we can classify skills, the better we can understand them.
True
T or F: Motor memory good, muscle memory bad.
True
What is motor performance?
➔ Observable production of a voluntary action or a motor skill
➔ Influenced by transient factors such as motivation, arousal, fatigue, and physical condition
➔ In motor control studies and research, the term “Action” is sometimes used synonymously with the term “Motor Skill.”
➔ Motor learning must be consistent
➔ Motor performance does not have to be consistent as it relies on multiple other variables, and this may reflect the degree of motor learning that has occurred.
