week 3

Question 1

What is a complex system?

Answer 1

A sysem composed of numerous interconnected elements, or degrees of freedom, that interact with each other, often in a non-linear and unpredictable manner, to achieve a common goal

Question 2

Example of complex system

Answer 2

Soccer team–>
Parts/degrees of freedom: players, coach, physio
interconnection: rules, communication, tactics
Purpose: score goals, win, make money

Question 3

Characteristics of complex systems

Answer 3

• Many independant and variable components (dfs)
• complex system can self organise
• Behaviour is non-linear
• Different levels (effect of exercise: physio, neuro, muscular etc)
• Capacity for stable and unstable relationships between system parts: when walking parts spontenously adjust

Question 4

Microscopic components

Answer 4

many joints, body segments

Question 5

Mesoscopic components

Answer 5

Mesoscopic: multiple organ systems (nervous, circulatory, skeletal, etc)

Question 6

Macroscopic components

Answer 6

Macroscopic: when movin, body parts spontaneously adapt and adjust to each other (self-organisation)

Question 7

Interdependancy

Answer 7

Cardiovascular endurance limits skill performance (interaction of subsyetms)

Question 8

Non linerality is what?

Answer 8

Linear increase in cardiovascular endurance does not result in linear improvements in skill performance

Question 9

Micro and Macro (circulatory system example)

Answer 9

Micro (inside an artery): RBC’s seem to flow in a direction but tumble about

Macro (whole circulatory system): Arterial flow moves away from the heart, venous flow towards

Question 10

Constraints with complex systems is what?

Answer 10

Factors that limit or enable specific behaviours
E.g schools of fish, in presence of a shark it influences the fishes behaviour

In complex systems, state of order emerge/self organise under the influence of constraints

Question 11

Physical constraints

Answer 11

Functional: vision, hearing, strength, aerobic fitness, etc
Structural: limb length, muscle csa, body fat, strength of childs grip, etc

Question 12

Informational constraint

Answer 12

Forms of energy flowing through a system when moving in the environment (optical, auditory, haptic)

E.g Haptic (touch) information recieved when you pick up objects of differing sizes

Question 13

Humans as complex adaptive systems example

Answer 13

Human body walking
degrees of freedom: bones, muscle, nerves
Coordinative structures: Femur, hip flexor muscles, femoral nerve
Constraints: when challanges or changes arise, such as walking up hill, these components must adjust and re-organise so we can continue to achieve task goal
Self organisation/adaptive behaviour: shorten stride, length, trunk lean, increase force from quad

Question 14

Complex adaptive system example soccer

Answer 14

Degree of freedom: players
Coordinative structure: team formation, tactics
constraints: offence vs defence
self organ/AB: stretch and asynchrony vs compact and synchrony

Question 15

How does coordination happen in a complex system?

Answer 15

While walking you might cooridnate your arm swings (in phase vs anti phase)

Stable states of coordination= attractor states (functional, efficient)
e.g when speed walking it feels uncomfy so youll slow down to walk or speef up to run)

Question 16

All different states of organisation that can b hypotheticially formed are known as the …?

Answer 16

numerical phase space (includes every movement and position on field)

Question 17

Self organization in sport

Answer 17

Allows us to adapt our behaviour to changing environmental conditions
E.g: playing surfaces in tennis (effects run, stop, turn)

The broader attractor landscap the more adaptive the system/player

Question 18

Transitions between attractor states :phase transitions

Answer 18

• The walk to run transition (you dont immedately run, their are phases you go through to reach the running stage)

Question 19

HKB model (use the finger thing as an example)

Answer 19

• modifying a control parameter (in this case velocity) can reduce stability of a coordinated pattern
• The attractor landscape is shifted
• the system moves from less stable pattern (anti-phase) to stable (in phase)

Question 20

Self organisation (skiing example)

Answer 20

• Their bodys position will self organise to produce a perfect turn
• ## This coordinated behaviour self organises under the environmental and individual constraints (snow, visual info)

Question 21

Task constraints

Answer 21

equipment
rules/markings
goals

Question 22

Interaction of constraints (orgasnismic, task, environmental)

Answer 22

The interaction of constraints on the neuromuscular system of the performer results in the emergence of different states of co-ordination that may become optimised with practice and experience

Question 23

Bernstein’s Degrees of Freedom

Answer 23

Degees of freedom of a body= number of joints
7 DOF for arm: 3 shoulder, 1 elbor, 3 in wrist

Question 24

Degree of freedom: what happens with early learners?

Answer 24

• They will reduce DOF by freezing
• Joints will become stiff and frozen

Question 25

DOF with practice?

Answer 25

Unfreezing
previously frozen linkages become fixed

muscle synergies will develope ( task specific cuplings between limbs and muscles that help manage the complexity of movement) helps system cope with moevement

efficient fluid movement

Question 26

DOF difference between novice and pro in football

Answer 26

Nov: often straight leg, later bends but torso is still straight

Pro: Learnt to adapt co-ordinative structures for kicking a ball (more fluent) + adapted to other conditions (wider attractor state)

Question 27

Movement degeneracy?

Answer 27

Is the capacibility of a compelx system to reach a goal in a variety of ways (e.g touching your nose)

Question 28

Role of variability

Answer 28

Allows for adaptibility to variability from opponents
Makes it harder for opponents to pre-determine your move

Question 29

Funnel shaped model for the role of variability

Answer 29

Athletes are shown a wide range of variability in the beginning of their training, serving as a specific function in performance in the end

Question 30

3 types of Newells model of constraints

Answer 30

Organismic, Environmental, task constraint