Lecture 12a, Motor Learning, Performance and Retention

Question 1

Motor Learning

Answer 1

“motor learning is a set of processes associated with practice or experience leading to relatively permanent changes in the capability for skilled performance”
- internal processes typically and we believe that is has been retained over some period of time

Question 2

Characteristics of Motor Learning (5)

Answer 2

1) motor learning is a set of internal processes (could be psychological, physiological, attentional, cognitive that result in change in outcomes)
- these processes can change when we acquire new skills

2) learning produces an acquired capability for skilled movement
- capability you might not see that is masked by some other factor (what you see now you may not see at a later date)

3) learning occurs as a result of practice or experience (these two components are very important but sometimes there are maturation issues that can collide)

4) motor learning is not directly observable (must be inferred)
- cannot see if someone is learning but rather infer from your measurements

5) motor learning is relatively permanent (rules out changes due to temporary performance factors)
- some assumption that it has made its way to LTM

Question 3

Performance vs. Learning

Answer 3

• we can infer motor learning from motor performance, BUT motor performance ≠ motor learning
• performance to refer to a single observation, it could be a score or outcome that reflects the value of a single attempt at a motor skill, or perhaps an average score that statistically summarizes a number of attempts
• learning is used quite specifically to refer to a stable improvement in skill over time - an improvement that has specifically occurred as the result of practice

Question 4

How do you know something has been learned? Separate temporary performance from learning

Answer 4

allow time for temporary effects to dissipate
- temporary effects due to motivation, guidance of coaches, feeling of learning but it is not true learning

retention testing & transfer testing
retention: how persistent is performance?
transfer: how adaptable/generalizable are the skill that you learned?
- has someone practiced with a coach present transfer when they are no longer there

Question 5

Retention/Transfer Test Design

Answer 5

• pre-test: baseline performance (to make sure they do already have the scores) or assume that the groups are relatively equivalent
• acquisition phase is practice phase (often different groups with different types of practice)
• no practice interval: sufficient period of test and make inferences about learning and relatively permanent changes in performance (allow temporary practice effects to dissipate - recommend a minimum of 24 hours)
• retention or transfer test: follow up with one more test (should be same conditions for all groups/people)