Motor Skill Classification I

Question 1

What are the three skill domains?

Answer 1

Cognitive, perceptual, and motor

Question 2

Definition: cognitive skill

Answer 2

A skill for which success is primarily determined by an individual’s knowledge and mental abilities

Question 3

Definition: skill

Answer 3

A learned, goal-directed activity entailing a broad range of human behaviour

Question 4

Definition: perceptual skill

Answer 4

A skill for which the ability to discern and discriminate among sensory stimuli is of primary concern in successfully accomplishing the skill

Question 5

Definition: motor skill

Answer 5

A learned, goal-directed activity for which success is primarily determined by the quality of an individual’s quality of movement and accomplished through muscular contributions to action

Question 6

Examples of cognitive skills

Answer 6

Reading, writing, solving math problems, crossword puzzles, calling plays in a football game…etc

Question 7

Example of perceptual skills

Answer 7

Selecting good fruit at the store, sorting something by size, “reading” a football defence, identifying food ingredients by taste

Question 8

Examples of motor skills

Answer 8

Standing up and sitting down, turning on a lamp, washing dishes, riding a bike, running, shaking someone’s hand

Question 9

True or false: motor skills can be genetically inherited

Answer 9

False.

They must be either learned or relearned, they are not natural abilities

Question 10

What are the 7 things that skill learning have in common regardless of domain?

Answer 10

1. Transfer specificity
2. Learning rates
3. Learning stages
4. Individual differences in skill performance
5. Importance of imagery
6. Involvement of neural substrates
7. Similar training effects

Question 11

By Guthrie’s definition, what 3 things define a skilled performance?

Answer 11

1. Max goal attainment certainty
2. Min energy expenditure
3. Min movement time

Question 12

Give examples of when decrease in movement time actually decreases performance success. Which principle does these examples demonstrate?

Answer 12

Ex. Hammering a nail, hitting a baseball…etc

These examples demonstrate the principle: “the speed-accuracy trade-off”

Question 13

What are the 4 terms that are commonly misused in replace of “motor skill”?

Answer 13

Response, action, movement, and ability

Question 14

Definition: response

Answer 14

A term used synonymously with motor skill, especially by those who favour and emphasize the behavioural and cognitive aspects of skill acquisition

Question 15

Definition: action

Answer 15

A term used synonymously with motor skill, favoured by those who focus on the effects of the environment and various interactions on motor control and acquisition

Question 16

Definition: movement

Answer 16

A change in position of the limbs or body segments; the behavioural components used to assemble motor skills

Question 17

Definition: ability

Answer 17

A genetically endowed trait underlying the performance of motor skills

Question 18

Are abilities learned or natural?

Answer 18

They are genetically endowed traits

Question 19

Give some examples of abilities

Answer 19

Hand-eye coordination, reaction time, speed of limb movement …etc

Question 20

What are the 3 components of analyzing motor skills? (Newell, 1986)

Answer 20

1. The person
2. The nature of the skill
3. The environment

Question 21

What are some examples of “the person” motor performance effects?

Answer 21

Previous skill
Level of motivation 
Age and developmental readiness
Psychological characteristics 
Fitness level
Bodily constrain

Question 22

What are some examples of “the nature of the skill” motor performance effects?

Answer 22

Performed in isolation vs others
Executed rapidly or over time
Perceptual demands 
Stable and changing conditions
Use of equipment
Rules of constraining action

Question 23

What are some examples of “the environment” motor performance effects?

Answer 23

Predictability of the environment 
Presence of others
Light, wind, surface conditions...etc
Environmental context
Constraints on movement possibilities
Perceptual elements present in environment

Question 24

By Sheridan’s definition, what 4 essential characteristics that are common to all motor skills must be addressed when creating an adequate motor skill theory?

Answer 24

1. Motor equivalence
2. Motor variability
3. Motor consistency
4. Motor modifiability

Question 25

Definition: motor equivalence

Answer 25

The capacity to produce many different movement patterns to accomplish the same goal

Question 26

Definition: motor variability

Answer 26

No two movement patters, even of the same skill, are produced in the exactly the same way, refers to the natural imperfection in the body’s movements

Question 27

Definition: motor consistency

Answer 27

The capacity to achieve the goals of motor skill consistently; the capacity of the human motor system to learn

Question 28

Definition: motor modifiability

Answer 28

The capacity to alter a movement pattern to achieve a new action goal