Motor Learning Considerations for S & C Flashcards
Why are motor learning considerations important?
- improvement of technique
- the importance of learning
- program is only as good as the ability for the client to retain skill
Why are motor learning considerations important?
- improvement of technique
- the importance of learning
- program is only as good as the ability for the client to retain skill
Motor learning:
a relatively permanent change, resulting from practice or experience, in the capability of responding
Successful learning and retention is guided by:
- skill presentation
- error detection/correction
- feedback
- retention
3 stages of learning model:
- cognitive stage
- associative stage
- autonomous stage
Describe the cognitive stage:
- beginner or novice
- choppy movement (deliberate lack of synchronization)
- easier for someone to slow the movements down (deliberate stops and starts)
- not much consistency
- error detection is critical from coaches (what went wrong, why, how it affected outcome)
Describe the associative stage:
- intermediate or practice
- most people are here (spend lots of time here)
- start to make connections and the technique that got them there
- associating good/bad outcomes
- typically see new peaks and plateaus of performance
Describe the autonomous stage:
- advanced or fine-tuning
- expert
- do your own error detection
- very little feedback needed from external sources
- capable of understanding what went wrong by yourself
- second nature
4 motor learning considerations:
- contextual interference
- goal setting
- augmented feedback
- focus of attention
Interference =
distraction
Contextual interference:
functional interference found in a practice situation when several tasks must be learned and are practiced together
Block trials:
a number of sets and reps of a skill all completed without interruption
Block trials:
a number of sets and reps of a skill all completed without interruption
Motor learning:
a relatively permanent change, resulting from practice or experience, in the capability of responding
Successful learning and retention is guided by:
- skill presentation
- error detection/correction
- feedback
- retention
3 stages of learning model:
- cognitive stage
- associative stage
- autonomous stage
Describe the cognitive stage:
- beginner or novice
- choppy movement (deliberate lack of synchronization)
- easier for someone to slow the movements down (deliberate stops and starts)
- not much consistency
- error detection is critical from coaches (what went wrong, why, how it affected outcome)
Describe the associative stage:
- intermediate or practice
- most people are here (spend lots of time here)
- start to make connections and the technique that got them there
- associating good/bad outcomes
- typically see new peaks and plateaus of performance
Describe the autonomous stage:
- advanced or fine-tuning
- expert
- do your own error detection
- very little feedback needed from external sources
- capable of understanding what went wrong by yourself
- second nature
4 motor learning considerations:
- contextual interference
- goal setting
- augmented feedback
- focus of attention
Interference =
distraction
What are possible things that we would be “reading” in strength training?
- load: grip, motor unit recruitment
- balance, surface area
- pieces around us (location)
What did Naimo et al. (2013) find with contextual interference?
- high contextual interference (serial) showed initial decrements in performance in the beginning
- posttest and retention test: high contextual interference group did better in both activities
- bench press/dart throw
Block trials:
a number of sets and reps of a skill all completed without interruption
Random trials:
mix sets and possibly reps of multiple skills in random order
Serial trials:
mix sets and possibly reps of multiple skills in a predictable order
Serial trials are similar to…
- super sets
- complex circuit training
What are some potential negative outcomes that could occur if contextual interference is introduced into a strength training setting?
?
3 components that make up a skill:
- read
- plan
- do
Why do coaches often use block practice strategy?
- they want to control everything (ego problem)
- want to see improvements themselves quickly
Why is block practice not necessarily good for learning a skill?
eliminates reading and planning from the equation
Retention is superior in ____ practice than ____ practice.
- random
- block
What can we suggest to a coach who uses block practice to track progression?
- use random practice
- use retention and transfer tests rather than trying to see results in a short session
What are possible things that we would be “reading” in strength training?
- load: grip, motor unit recruitment
- balance, surface area
- pieces around us (location)
What did Naimo et al. (2013) find with contextual interference?
- high contextual interference (serial) showed initial decrements in performance in the beginning
- posttest and retention test: high contextual interference group did better in both activities
- bench press/dart throw
What did Boyce (1992) find with goal setting?
- specific goal groups outperform the general group
- specific goals and assigned specific goals group show significantly greater motor learning
Untrained athletes have what kind of goals?
- mix of instructor and self selected goals
- often displayed with the rest of the group’s goals on a goal board
Trained athletes have what kind of goals?
- target goals prescribed to them by the coach based on previous testing results
- still encouraged to set their own SMART goals
SMART goals stands for:
- specific
- measurable
- agreed upon
- realistic
- time-based
Different types of augmented feedback:
- knowledge of performance
- knowledge of results
- faded feedback
Knowledge of performance:
- information provided to a performer
- indicates quality or patterning of their movement
- may include info such as displacement, velocity or joint motion
Example of knowledge of performance feedback:
you are extending your hips too slowly on a squat jump
Knowledge of results:
extrinsic information about the movement outcome in relation to the goal
Example of knowledge of results:
you got 500 watts on that rep, your next goal is 600 wats
What is the problem with augmented feedback for novice athletes?
- too much feedback
- they don’t know what they are doing anyway, more feedback won’t necessarily help
- lots of feedback might not stick
- need to evaluate if certain cues work (don’t overwhelm)
Faded feedback:
- used in earlier stages of motor learning: athlete benefits from more frequent feedback
- as retention of the skill increases, less feedback is beneficial
2 types of focus of attention:
- internal
- external
Internal focus of attention:
athlete concentrates on their body and its movements
External focus of attention:
- athlete concentrates on objects or actions outside the athlete’s body
- leads to increases in motor learning and force production at all speeds
- peak EMG (motor unit recruitment) is lower = higher efficiency
Why is efficiency higher with lower peak EMG (MU recruitment)?
- created same speed with less MU recruitments at all speeds
- high motor recruitment in agonist and antagonist = less synchronizing = less efficiency
Movement efficiency is measured by….
- muscular activity
- max force production
- speed
- endurace
Movement effectiveness is measured by….
balance or accuracy
What did Schutts et al. (2016) find with focus of attention?
- internal focus of attention had the lifter dropping under the barbell too soon
- internal focus of attention subjects had more unsuccessful attempts vs those using external focus
Positive application of internal focus of attention:
- bodybuilding
- mind muscle connection
- EMG goes up with internal focus
- high EMG, less synchronicity is better because the agonist has to work harder to lift lighter weight against antagonsit
- higher gains from higher total EMG output (not net) from internal focus
Purposes of putting a ball on the plate during a plate squat:
- focus of attention changes
- feedback
- knowledge of performance
Purposes of putting plates under toes when squatting:
- external
- immediate feedback
Purposes of having guidelines on floor when completing clean and jerk:
- external
- goal setting (measurable goals)
Why is the stop snatch a good exercise?
- increased concurrent feedback (acquisition) vs dead/low hang
- inc. opportunity for frequency of pos. feedback
- increased TUT = possible earlier access to intrinsic mechanisms and increased self error detection
- may decrease reliance upon augmented feedback (retention)
