Motor Learning 1 Flashcards
in unit 1 we described 3 related concepts within the discipline of motor behaviour:
- motor learning
- motor development
- motor control
in the rotating arrow circle of motor control, development and learning -what’s in the middle?
skill and performance
list the important differences
- abilities vs capabilities
- performance vs learning
- skill acquisition vs. skill retention vs. skill transfer
define abilities
- stable and enduring
- genetically determined (inherited)
- unmodified by practice or experience
- the “hardware” that supports skills
define capabilities
-skills
- developed and modified with practice
- depend on the presence of different subsets of abilities
use the word ability/capability in this sentence: Dr. Tuckey has the _ to reach items on the top shelf because she is tall
ability
use the word ability/capability in this sentence: I do not have the _ to breathe under water
abiltiy
use the word ability/capability in this sentence: I have run a half marathon before, but that was over a decade ago, I don’t know if I have the _ to run one again
capability
use the word ability/capability in this sentence: I am nervous and don’t have the _ to be an effective team captain one day
capability
motor skill capability is a person’s _
potential for skilled motor performance under favorable conditions
- within your control (to an extent)
*not synonymous with ‘ability’
define ability
an innate, underlying trait that doesn’t change as a function of practice
how do abilities interact with capabilities?
- abilities are the foundation of capabilities
- different abilites may underlie certain motor skill capabilties (which explains why some people may pick up a new skill more easily than others), but the capability to perform a specific skill comes through effective practice
recall, motor learning is defined as the
relatively permanent gains in motor skill capability associated with practice or experience
improved performance does not by itself, define
learning
- improved performance is an indication that learning may have occured
what happens when we add the word developmental in front of motor learning?
by adding the word developmental, we acknowledge that individuals learn differently at different points across the life span
what’s the difference between performance and learning?
they are not the same thing
- performance is immediate
describe performance (performance vs learning)
performance is how you are doing in the moment
- can vary from moment to moment, trial to trial
- unstable
- can be affected by situational variables (functional and/or environmental constraints)
describe learning (how it is different from performance)
improved performance does not, by itself, define learning
- learning involves a set of processes occuring within the CNS
- learning produces an acquired capability for skilled performance
- learning changes are relatively permanent
- learning is not directly observable
- learning changes are inferred from certain performance changes
- learning results from practice or experience
practice refers to_
a deliberate attempt to achieve motor learning although experience (eg. play) can also result in learning
learning reflects an ongoing _
reorganization of the central nervous system
*this, immediate performance does not always accurately reflect the underlying capability
although learning is relatively permanent, performance can _
fluctuate day to day
how can we tell if someone has learned a task or if they just performed well? aka what things must be considered/how to study motor learning effectiveness
1) practice is critical for learning
2) performance curves can be misleading
3) the learning-performance distinction
3) retention and transfer are true “tests” for learning
describe performance curves
these curves simply plot performance as a function of time (they can take on several shapes)
describe the negatively accelerated curve
rapid initial improvements followed by decreasing gains in improvement from practice
describe the positively accerated curve
little improvement initially, followed by rapid improvement over time
performance can acheive _ effects that mask further improvements in skill
ceiling and floor
define the ceiling effect
when performance variable can go no higher (eg. percentage correct)d
describe the floor effect
when performance variable can go no lower (eg. reaction time; error scores)
