LESSON 1.6 - Constraints, Rate Limiters, and Affordances

Question 1

Constraint

Answer 1

a neutral quality (not negative!!) that encourages emergence of certain movements while discouraging the emergence of others
e.g., discouraging negative behaviours/habits

Question 2

Newell’s Model of Constraints

Answer 2

the interaction between individual, task, and environmental constraints. if any one of these three factors change, the resultant movement changes. All dimensions are needed to understand motor development and how movement emerges

Question 3

Individual constraints

Answer 3

person’s unique mental and physical characteristics (structural or functional- can be long-term or short-term)

structural: height (influences movement and balance), stride length, age (gate patterns), muscular strength, visual perception, body temperature
functional (generally short-term): behaviour, motivation, fear, lack of sleep, mindset, peer/social pressures, anxiety

examples of structural adaptations:

• shorter arms - impacts movement, counterbalance to body’s motion without tiring shoulders, long arms not needed to climb trees anymore
• Achilles tendon: a spring and shock absorber by storing and releasing energy during the stride and allows us to run father

Question 4

Task Contraints

Answer 4

constraints external to the body and consist of goals of the movement as well as the rules and equipment used

e.g., task constraint: a heavy bat, structural constraint: too weak to carry a heavy bat

Question 5

Environmental Constraints

Answer 5

Global constraints related to the world outside our body, around us. May be physical (temperature) or sociocultural (girls and sports)
Competes with our ability to perform movement

E.g., astronauts’ change in gate pattern (walking) due to a different gravity
“rule” for not allowing girls to play masculine sports, however if you lose your self-esteem then it turns into an individual constraint

Question 6

rate limiter (rate controller)

Answer 6

`- a constraint that restricts a movement from emerging
- a movement skill emerges when the slowest of the required components reaches a critical level

e. g., lack of muscular strength - strength doesn’t develop fast enough to keep up with our mass
- larger children start walking later

Question 7

Affordances

Answer 7

function or opportunity an environmental object, surface, place, or event provides to an individual
e.g., when we walk on a different surface (sand, snow) it teaches us to move differently
when we give a child toys it supports their finger development