Lecture 15 Flashcards
What is Motor learning? Characteristics of skill acquisition
Skill
A learnt ability to move effectively and more efficiently
Learning
Reflects changes in perceptual, cognitive and action capability
Nerophysiology of learning
It is very difficult to measure things that change = so that we can say learning has occured
Neurophysiology of learninging 4 points
- Very difficult to measure precise changes
-Selective strengthing / pruning of neural pathways with practice - Refined neural representation of body parts
-Gradually responsibility for motor control delegated to sub-conscious brain structures such as cerebellum, hippocampus etc
Experience-dependent plasticity:
- Synaptic Pruning
- Long-term potentiation (improved synaptic efficiency)
- Selective inhibition
- Myelination
What is myelination
Maturation of certain nerve cells whereby a fatty sheath forms around the axons which allows the nerve impulses to travel faster
What does skilled performance look like (5 points)
- Accomplishment of the task goal
- consistent
-Persistent
-Adaptability
-Efficient (attention, physical)
Skill requires (4 points)
- Perception/ awareness
- Intention to move
- Postural control
- Coordination
Fitts and Posner 3 stage model of motor learning
Can be difficult to classify how skilled an individual is
This model distinguishes between cognitive, perceptual and motor demands of the skill to be learnt
Cognitive
Getting the idea
Trail and error
Awkward
Inefficient
Motor
More control
Adaptable
Less errors
More Relaxed
Skilled
Automatic
Fluid
Efficient
Accurate
Consistent
Learning
Result of permanent change not observable, must monitor performance over a long period of time
Performance
Temporary, non permanent changes, observable
Performance improvement is a good indicator of ……
Motor learning if
- assessed over a long time
- Combining with other factors (Consistency, persistance, Coordination)
Performance improvement is a bad indicator
Of motor learning if
- The performance measure doesn’t truly show gains
-Improved performance is a result of bad habits
Different types of performance curves
- Linear
-S-shaped
-Positively accelerating
-Negatively accelerating
Negative accelerating
Is when initial improvements come relatively quick then slows down
Positively accelerating
accelerating happens later with practice
Linear
Each bit of practice is proportional to improvement
S-shaped
Initial slow growth - rapid acceleration - plateau
Performance curves provided means
to evaluate changes in performance measures over time
Measuring performance
Compare pretest to postest
Measuring learning
Retention test -have a break then try again
Measuring adaptability
Perform a transfer test related to skill
Measures of retention (absolute retention)
Difference score
- amount of loss in skill over the retention interval
-Difference between performance levels at end of original learning session and begining of retention test
Percentage score
- Amount of loss in skill over the retention interval (difference score) relative to amount of improvement in original-learning score
Transfer of learning
Tasks may be practiced in a session that are modified from the primary skill learnt
Types of transfer
Positive / negative
General = can benefit different activities, contexts
Specific = Only useful for adapting movement in same context
Vertical=Difficulty
Horizontal= context
It is a general assumption that swimming in a pool
can prevent drowning -> skill transfer is not clear
Motor Learning (redefined)
Is an ongoing dynamic process involving a search for and sabilisation of specific, functional movement patterns as each individual adapts to a variety of changing constraints
