Theoretical Perspectives in Motor Development Flashcards
describe the maturational perspective
maturationists believe that genetics are the dominant reason for motor development, and that the environment has little effect
- driven by the maturation of the CNS
*internal and innate process driven by our biological clocks
who led the maturational perspective
Arnold Gesell in the 1930s
Based on the maturational perspective, the rate at which_
individuals pass through our stages of development can differ from one individual to the next
Gesell explains that maturation is a process of _ factors rather than _ factors
internal/genetic factors rather than external/environmental factors
* time will pass and individuals will develop sequentially based on genetics
describe the co-twin control strategy (Gesell)
Gesell et al. 1927
- identical twins t & c 46 weeks old
twin c= no training
- measured by how fast each twin could climb stairs
what did Gesell find in his co-twin control strategy?
at 56 weeks and again 3 years later, their performance on the staircase was “amazingly alike”
*regardless of environmental training, both babies developed to the same stair climbing ability-maturation perspective holds true
describe the co-twin control strategy (Myrtle McGraw)
Myrtle McGraw1935 also used twins to examine the influence of enhanced experience on motor development
growth: a study of johnny and jimmy
- johnyy: challenging environments and tasks (climbing ramps, swimming, roller skating)
- jimmy- control
what did McGraw find in the co-twin control strategy
- johnny did excel in some motor tasks but not in others, were also fraternal (limitation)
Recap: The maturationists perspective suggests that motor skills will_
emerge automatically, regardless of differing environments
name the 4 beliefs from the maturation theory
1) Basic motor skills will emerge automatically
2) There is no need for special training
3) Mild deprivation does not arrest development
4) The nervous system is most important
who used the information processing perspective?
used among developmental psychologists, motor learning scientists specializing in physical education during the 1970s and 1980s
describe the information processing perspective
the brain acts as a computer
- takes in info
-processes it
- outputs movement
describe different memory types in the information processing model
sensory memory>short term memory = (double arrow) long term memory
when sensory input goes into sensory memory, where can it go after?
to short term memory via attention OR unattended info is lost
when attended to sensory input goes into short term memory, where can it go after?
stay in short term via maintenance rehearsal OR unrehearsed information is lost OR to long term memory via encoding
when sensory input is in long term memory, where can it go?
short term memory via retrieval OR some info may be lost over time
the ecological perspective ties together the_
individuals, the environment and the task
describe the ecological perspective
must consider the interaction of all constraints
- ie. body type, motivation, temp and equipment size to fully understand a motor skill (ex. kicking)
what 2 approaches fall under the ecological perspective
dynamical systems approach and perception-action approach
what is the main focus of the dynamical systems approach?
motor control and coordination
what is the main focus of the perception-action approach?
more perception based
who came up with the dynamical systems approach?
researchers from the university of connecticut in the psychology department had uncertainties about the information processing perspective
describe the dynamical systems approach
they suggested that the organization of physical and chemical systems is what constrains behaviour
- the body’s structure removes some of the movement choices that the CNS might have to make
(ex. structure of legs = walking vs crawling)
The dynamical systems approach suggests that our coordination and behaviour _
is softly assembled, not hardwired, that enable us to walk when we need to
who proposed the perception-action approach? (second branch of ecological perspective)
j.j. gibson (1966, 1979)
- proposedthis model, even though it took several decades to gain momentum
describe the perception-action approach
- close interrelationship between perceptual and motor systems
- theses systems evolve together, cannot study perception independent of movement if our findings are to be ecologically valid
define affordance
the function that an environmental object provides to an individual
*when we look at object, we automatically think of what it will allow for us to do
*our perception of object will allow movement, based on previous experience
what 2 types of affordance can you have?
poor and good affordance
*ex. knobs that don’t give opportunity for decision/provide obvious decision = poor
