Week 2

Question 1

Define coordination…?

Answer 1

The process of organising degrees of freedom into an efficient movement pattern to achieve a specific goal

Question 2

Define control…?

Answer 2

Manipulation of variables within a movement to meet the demands of a given situation

Question 3

Define degrees of freedom…?

Answer 3

• The human body’s numerous independent elements that produce abundant action possibilities

Question 4

What is the problem with degrees of freedom?

Answer 4

• How we coordinate and control the available degrees of freedom to produce a particular movement?

Question 5

Define Motor program theories…?

Answer 5

Command centre in the brain thought to make all decision regarding movement

Question 6

Define the dynamic interaction theories…?

Answer 6

• A command centre could not account for all variations and adjustments in skilled movement
• Movement results from interaction of body, environment and skill

Question 7

Early Motor Program Theories proposal –> for each movement…?

Answer 7

• Separate motor program existed and was stored in memory

- When a specific action was required, the program was retrieved from memory and executed

Question 8

Early Motor Program Theories problem –> ???

Answer 8

• Storage requirements of all the new plans

- Production of new plans

Question 9

Generalised Motor Program (EXAM) = ??

Answer 9

A class of actions or movement patterns that can be modified to yield various outcomes

Question 10

Define the invariable features of the generalised motor program?

Answer 10

• they define the program itself (holding the pen, writing)

- they are relatively fixed

Question 11

Define the parameters features of the generalised motor program?

Answer 11

• things we adjust (how tight we hold the pen etc)
• more flexbile
• defines the programs execution

Question 12

Invariant features =

Answer 12

Some underlying features of a movement remain constant

Question 13

Parameters =

Answer 13

Some features of a movement are flexible and are easily modified from one performance to the next

Question 14

What are the 4 possible parameters?

Answer 14

1. Overall duration
2. Overall force
3. Movement direction
4. Muscle selection (forced to use different muscles due to injuries, or choosing to select different muscles to improve technique)

Question 15

What are the three possible invariant features ?

Answer 15

• Sequence of actions
• Relative timing
• Relative force

Question 16

Schema (3) =

Answer 16

• Directs decision making
• Develops as result of accumulated experiences
• Each movement attempt gives the learner information to guide future attempts

Question 17

Recall schema =

Answer 17

Responsible for organising the motor program

Question 18

Recognition schema =

Answer 18

Responsible for evaluating the movement attempt

Question 19

Explain the difference between and open and closed loop in control systems?

Answer 19

Open loop -> Input, process, then output. Your brain doesn’t require constant feedback because the object is stationary

Closed loop -> Input, process, output, input again. Your brain keeps collecting more feedback as object is constantly moving.

Question 20

Dynamic Interaction Theories =

Answer 20

Movement patterns emerge, or self organise, as a function of interactions among various constraints:

• Learner
• Environment
• Task

Question 21

Constraints =

Answer 21

All of the factors - limiting and enabling - within the practice environment that influence skill acquisition and performance

Question 22

Types of constraints (3)?

Answer 22

• Individual (varies between people)
• Environmental (surface, ground etc)
• Task (its complexity, duration, rules)

Question 23

Emergence of movement patterns: Movement =

Answer 23

a function of a system self-organising and compressing available degrees of freedom into a single unit designed to carry out a specific task

Question 24

Emergence of movement patterns: Movement pattern =

Answer 24

the result of the constraints imposed by a given situation

Question 25

Stability and movement: Attractor =

Answer 25

Preferred state of stability in a system (what movement feels most comfortable or is most attractive to achieve this goal)

Question 26

Stability and movement: Control parameter =

Answer 26

Variable that, when changed, leads to corresponding changes (speed, incline etc)

Question 27

Stability and movement: Rate limiter =

Answer 27

an individual constraint that holds back or slows the emergence of a motor skill (when individual potentially holds back, doesn’t move into run, etc)

Question 28

The depth of the attractors is an indicator if what?

Answer 28

indication of stability of the system

Question 29

Shallow vs deep attractors

Answer 29

Deep: stable systems, difficult to change (more stable, situation dictates what you have to do –> treadmill faster = running faster)

Shallow: less stable, more susceptible to change (get into a habit, it doesn’t feel that great but continue –> treadmill at 7km, run or walk?)

Question 30

Shallow attractor state: a phase shift can occur _____

Answer 30

abruptly

Question 31

Deep attractor state: intervention strategies have to cause instability, which leads to an increase in movement _____

Answer 31

variability

Question 32

Over time, the pattern will reorganise, the new technique will take over, and a ___ -____ will occur to a new attractor state.

Answer 32

phase shift

Question 33

Non-linear pedagogy =

Answer 33

• Learner searches through a range of potential movement solutions for the optimum strategy
• Perceptual-motor workspace

Question 34

Constraints-led approach =

Answer 34

• Purposeful manipulation of key constraints in an effort to acquire movement skills and decision-making behaviours
• Hands-off practitioner