Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition

Question 1

What are characteristics of ideal performance state?

Answer 1

sense that skills are equal to the challenge of activity, actions in tune with the thoughts of the mind, complete concentration on the task, lack of self-consciousness, highly enjoyable and motivating experience

Question 2

What is self talk?

Answer 2

internal monologue urging you to achieve success

Question 3

What is imagery/visualization?

Answer 3

imagining yourself succeeding

Question 4

What is relaxation/arousal regulation?

Answer 4

managing autonomic nervous functions that come with anxiety/nervousness such as heart rate, body temperature, and breathing patterns to enhance performance

Question 5

What is motor learning?

Answer 5

the process by which a person develops the ability to perform a task through a combination of physical and psychological factors

Question 6

Psychologically, what can be done pre-performance?

Answer 6

set training and competition goals, develop sound focus, imagery

Question 7

Psychologically, what can be done during performance?

Answer 7

positive reminders, cues established to focus attention, regulate emotions

Question 8

Psychologically, what can be done post-performance?

Answer 8

debrief strengths and areas for improvement, focus on positive lessons

Question 9

What are the 3 stages of motor learning?

Answer 9

cognitive, associative, autonomous

Question 10

Describe the cognitive stage of motor learning

Answer 10

basic understanding of task, large errors are committed, talks self through skill, slow and deliberate movements

Question 11

Describe the associative stage of motor learning

Answer 11

individual skill elements come together in sub-units, starts to develop as a smoother movement, aware of mistakes, more consistent effort

Question 12

Describe the autonomous stage of motor learning

Answer 12

actions require little or no thought, aware of mistakes and how to correct them, able to think of other things while completing the skill, movement is fast and smooth

Question 13

What is skill transferability?

Answer 13

the ability to apply or transfer skills learned in the context of improving performance in one activity to another

Question 14

What is an open skill?

Answer 14

a skill performed in an unpredictable environment with many external factors, movements must be adapted to environment

Question 15

What is a closed skill?

Answer 15

a skill performed in a predictable environment with no external factors, movements can be planned in advance

Question 16

What are the 3 categories of movement skills? Give an example of each.

Answer 16

stability (ex. stork stand, bending)
locomotion (ex. running, jumping)
manipulation (ex. throwing, striking)

Question 17

What is shaping?

Answer 17

learners shape a skill gradually, learning only most important actions first then adding missing pieces until the skill is whole

Question 18

What is chaining?

Answer 18

starting at the beginning of an action: learn 1st phase, learn 2nd phase, chain phases together, continue until skill is whole

Question 19

What is backwards chaining?

Answer 19

chaining but starting at the end of the skill instead of the beginning

Question 20

What are 5 constraints affecting development?

Answer 20

physical (height, weight), psychological (motivation, self-esteem), behavioural (difficulty focusing on game actions), environmental (physical, sociocultural), and task (rules, equipment)

Question 21

What are the 5 phases of performing a skill?

Answer 21

preliminary movements, back-swing, force-producing movements, critical instant, follow-through