Lecture 9: Motor skills & abilities Flashcards
Motor Behaviour
= Motor control + motor learning + motor development
Motor Control;
How the neuromuscular system functions to enable coordinated movement
While learning a new skill
While performing a well-learned skill
Motor Learning;
Acquisition of new skills
Performance enhancement of well-learned skills
Reacquisition of skills following injury, disease, etc.
Motor Development:
motor changes across the lifespan, from infancy to old
age
Why study aspects of motor
behaviour
Regardless of whether you work with special populations, general, or athletic, movement control is necessary: RARML Learning Re-learning Modification Adaptation Refinement
WHAT IS A MOTOR SKILL?
Most everyday tasks involve motor skills
What are the characteristics of a motor skill?
- Specific Goal to achieve
- Performed voluntarily
- Requires body movements to accomplish
- goal Need to be learned (or re-learned)
How are motor skills and movements different?
Different movements may be used to achieve same
motor skill – behaviour characteristics of specific limbs
e.g. different styles of walking & running, athletes with artificial limbs
Throwing a ball (under arm or overarm)
MOTOR SKILL vs. MOVEMENT
Skill is evaluated by an outcome e.g.timetorundistance,batting average Movement evaluated by measures of body movements e.g. EMG, video analysis
Why classify motor skills?
Provides basis for identifying similarities/differences among skills
Provides basis for developing principles related to performing and learning motor skills
▫ Describe demands of a motor skill
▫ Design of training programs to allow gradual progression
Motor skills classification systems:
▫ One-dimensional
▫ Two-dimensional(Gentile’staxonomy)
ONE-DIMENSIONAL SYSTEMS
1. SIZE OF PRIMARY MUSCULATURE
• One-dimensional systems classified based on continuum
GROSS
• Primary muscles involved are large musculature
• Less movement precision
• Combination of gross & fine motor skills
FINE
• Primary muscles involved are small musculature
• High movement precision
Classify the following skills: typing on a keyboard, walking, threading a needle, kicking a soccer ball, pitching a baseball, hopping
GROSS • Walking • Hopping MIDDLE • Kicking a soccer ball • Pitching a baseball FINE • Typing on keyboard • Threading a needle
ONE-DIMENSIONAL SYSTEMS
2. BEGIN & END POINTS OF SKILL
DISCRETE • Skill has distinct beginning & end points • Usually simple movements SERIAL • Involves a sequence of discrete skills CONTINUOUS • Skill has arbitrary beginning & end points • Usually involve repetitive movements
• Classify the following skills: walking, hitting a piano key, playing a song on a piano, typing a sentence on a keyboard, changing gears in a car, driving a car, clicking a mouse button
DISCRETE • Hitting a piano key • Clicking a mouse button SERIAL Playing a song on a piano Typing a sentence on a keyboard Changing gears in a car CONTINUOUS • Walking • Driving a car
ONE-DIMENSIONAL SYSTEMS 3. STABILITY OF ENVIRONMENT:
• Predictability of environment & physical location where skill is performed
▫ Surface: stationary or moving, flat or elevated?
▫ Object: stationary or moving, size?
▫ People: stationary or moving, many or none?
CLOSED
• Skill is performed in stationary or stable environment
• Performer determines when to begin the skill
OPEN
• Skill is performed in unpredictable environment
• Environment determines when to begin the skill
• Classify the following skills: kicking a stationary soccer ball from a standing position, kicking an oncoming soccer ball to a moving player, catching a thrown ball, walking on a crowded sidewalk
CLOSED • Kicking a stationary soccer ball from standing position OPEN • Kicking an oncoming soccer ball to a moving player • Catching a thrown ball • Walking on a crowded sidewalk 
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
• GENTILE’STWO-DIMENSIONSTAXONOMY
• This classification is based on 2 factors:
1. Environmental context: characteristics of the environment, whether it is stationary or moving
2. Function of the action: related to whether person is stationary or moving and whether an object needs to be manipulated
GENTILE’S TWO-DIMENSIONS TAXONOMY 1
- ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT —>
REGULATORY CONDITIONS
NO INTER-TRIAL VARIABILITY: stationary
* Practising a basketball free-throw without a ball
* Standing in a room
INTER-TRIAL VARIABILITY: stationary
* Practising a basketball free-throw from different positions
* Standing on different surfaces
NO INTER-TRIAL VARIABILITY: In motion
* Walking on a treadmill at a constant speed
* Hitting a ball pitched at the same speed
INTER-TRIAL VARIABILITY: in motion
*Walking on a treadmill at various speeds
* Hitting a ball pitched at different speeds

GENTILE’S TWO-DIMENSIONS TAXONOMY 2
- Action Function —> Body Orientation
NO OBJECT MANIPULATION: body stability
* Practising a free- throw with no basketball
OBJECT MANIPULATION: body stability
* Shooting basketball free-throws
NO OBJECT MANIPULATION: body transport
* Running through a basketball play several times without a ball
OBJECT MANIPULATION: body transport
* Running through a basketball play several times with a ball
Gentile’s taxonomy produces 16 skill categories
Continuum from less complex > more complex
Less complex in 1A corner
More complex in 4d corner
Classify the following:
Intercepting netball from opponent
Kicking soccer ball from stationary position to moving opponent
4B & 4C
Practical Uses of Gentile’s Taxonomy
Guide for evaluating motor performance capabilities, limitations, and deficiencies
Systematic basis for selecting progressions of functionally appropriate activities to
increase performance capabilities
overcome performance deficiencies
Chart person’s progress
Develop an individual profile of competencies

