skills and skill acquisition Flashcards
what is the definition of skill?
a learned and practiced ability that brings about the results that you want to achieve with maximum certainty and efficiency
what is the definition of ability?
the qualities and characteristics a person is born with, such as speed, coordination, agility, flexibility, balance, reaction time, that allow a person to learn or acquire skills
what is the difference between skill and ability?
a person’s ability will help them to learn a skill. Their innate ability will help them to become good at the skills they practice. Specific skills needed to play each sport are very different although your general ability may help you play decently in a different sport and help you learn the skills quickly
what are the 8 factors that can affect the variation of skill level within a performer?
- age and maturity
- arousal conditions
- facilities
- environment
- teaching and coaching
- anxiety
- motivation
- culture
how does age and maturity affect skill level?
how young a person is can affect how good they become. Starting younger provides more time to become expert
how do arousal conditions affect skill level?
someone who is calm and enjoys low arousal may perform well in shooting or archery, which require fine motor skills. People with high arousal levels may prefer football or boxing, which require more gross motor skills
how do facilities affect skill level?
the kinds of facilities that are available and accessible will impact on the sports and level of sport that is offered
how does the environment affect skill level?
where you live will affect your choices. If you live where there is snow, you are more likely to ski than if you live in a tropical climate
how does teaching and coaching affect skill level?
the quality and provision of coaching available will affect skill level. For example, Andy Murray left the UK for Spain to develop his tennis skills
how does anxiety affect skill level?
if you see the skill as difficult, for example, it may stop you improving. The coach must break the skill down to help motivate you
how does motivation affect skill level?
this will influence the skills you choose and how well you master them. A desire to succeed will encourage you to practice and seek new challenges
how does culture affect skill level?
background can impact upon the skills you learn. A person with the ability to play striking sports is likely to play baseball in the USA, but cricket in India
what are cognitive skills?
how we think and make decisions
what are perceptual skills?
how we visualise and anticipate things
what are the 6 characteristics of a skilled performance?
- accurate
- consistent
- fluent
- coordinated
- aesthetically pleasing
- goal directed
what does accurate mean?
achieving precise, reliable movements
what does consistent mean?
performing to a high level every time with control and quality
what does fluent mean?
using movements that are quick, smooth and flowing, without hesitation or stumbling
what does coordinated mean?
moving different parts of the body together with efficiency and control
what does aesthetically pleasing mean?
a display that looks good to the eye of the spectator, judge or coach
what does goal directed mean?
focusing performing on a specific target and being determined to achieve that target
what are basic skills?
simple skills such as throwing, catching, hitting a ball and running
what are complex skills?
more difficult skills that require a high level of coordination and concentration
what are closed skills?
skills that are not affected by the environment or the performers within it
why is classifying skills useful?
it helps us to understand how the skill can be taught most effectively. Giving targeted guidance and training enables a performer to be successful at the sill
what are open skills?
skills that are affected by the environment; the performer has to react and adjust to the situation and this will constantly change
where are open skills most commonly seen?
open skills are most commonly seen in team games such as football, rugby and hockey. The environment may change from game to game, or even during the game. A player may face different weather conditions, the quality and state of the pitch can vary or may change as the game progresses
where are closed skills most commonly seen?
a closed skill is often seen in individual and indoor events. Most swimming events require closed skills, as the swimming pool is a stable and constant environment and most pools have the same characteristics. There is also no interaction during the race. Many athletics events also require closed skills
what are fine skills?
precise movements that require high levels of accuracy and technique; they are often small movements that require small groups of muscles such as in the fingers eg. firing an arrow in archery
what are gross skills?
movements that use large muscle groups to produce big, powerful movements; gross skills are usually performed by the arms and legs eg. running, jumping, throwing
what is a continuum?
a scale that changes gradually from one end to the other
how can skills be measure in each sport?
each pair of skills can be charted on a continuum. eg. performing the long jump involves relatively basic skills of running and jumping, although there are of course more technical aspects to the event
what are the four stages of the information-processing model?
- input
- decision making
- output
- feedback