Motor Skills Exam Flashcards
What is motor learning?
A field of science that studies and explains many aspects of human movement. It aims to understand how humans learn (acquire) and remember (retain) the skills required to perform specialised movements.
What are motor skills?
these are voluntary movements that involve the use of specific muscles with the goal of achieving a predetermined purpose or goal (e.g. catching a ball, doing a push up)
What are motor reflexes?
these are involuntary movements that are not consciously controlled and aren’t designed to achieve an intended goal (e.g. the knee jerk reflex when patella tendon is tapped)
What is the difference between a fine and gross motor skill?
A fine motor skill are very precise and require the movement and use of smaller muscle groups e.g. throwing a dart, whereas gross motor skill are less precise and require the use of larger muscle groups e.g the wrist movement in order to complete a drop shot
What is the difference of an open and closed motor skills?
Open motor skills are affected by the environment. They require the athlete or person performing the skill to make decisions and adapt their skills in contexts that are unstable or unpredictable e.g. badminton rally, whereas, closed motor skills are not affected by the environment. They are performed in environments that are predictable and stable e.g. doing forehand drills in badminton.
What is a discrete motor skill?
Discrete motor skills have clearly defined start and finish point. E.g. a serve in badminton
What is a continuous motor skill?
Continuous motor skills do not have a clearly defined start and finish point. They consist of discrete motor skills linked together repeated continuously. E.g. moving back and forward on a badminton court.
What is a serial motor skill?
Serial motor skills consist of a group (i.e. series) of different discrete skills linked together to create more complex movement sequence. E.g. when at the front of the curt in badminton and a shot is played over your head and you have to move back and play a drop shot
What are Fitts and Posners three stages of learning?
- Cognitive
- Associative
- Autonomous
What is the cognitive stage of learning?
It is the first stage, it is also known as the understanding stage, trying to understand what they have to do to perform the skill. Some characteristics that this type of learner would display includes a large error count, attention to every detail unable to block out irrelevant information and an inconsistent performance.
What is the associative stage?
This is the second stage, it is also known as the practice stage. This learner displays fewer errors tan a cognitive learner, anticipation develops and learns to monitor own feedback, this stage is about practicing trying to master the skill.
What is the autonomous stage?
This is the third and final stage and is also known as the automatic stage. This learner can display the skill with consistency and fluency. The learner has a small or no error count, decreased attention demands, confidence increase self talk turns to strategy and performance gains are slower.
What is a task constraint and some examples.
Task constraints are aspects of the task that need to be overcome or adapted to. E.g. rules of the game, the size and shape of the playing court, for badminton understanding which lines are for the doubles game and which are for the singles and the playing equipment.
What are environmental constraints?
These are the changeable aspects of the environment that need to be overcome or adapted to. E.g. weather conditions such as the temperature in the doyle centre, number of spectators like the camera in badminton.
What are individual constraints?
The characteristics that the individual needs to overcome or adapt to. E.g. such as height, how fast you are around the court can determine whether you reach a drop shot, level of experience, confidence.
