Week 6 Material

Question 1

What is plasticity?

Answer 1

The capacity to be shaped, molded, or altered over time. Neuroplasticity is the ability for the brain to adapt or change over time, by creating new neurons and building new neurons.

Question 2

Neuroplasticity means it is possible to…

Answer 2

Change dysfunctional patterns of movement, thinking, and behaviors. As well as develop new mindsets, new memories, new skills, and new abilities.

Question 3

True or False: plasticity has a clear age-dependent determinant.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Plasticity occurs under 2 conditions:

Answer 4

Typical development and learning, and recovery of function following neural pathology.

Question 5

True or False: Plasticity is not influenced by the environment and past experience.

Answer 5

False: it IS influenced.

Question 6

What 2 processes are involved in the physiology of plasticity?

Answer 6

1. Changes in synaptic efficiency: involves habituation, sensitization, and long-term potentiation.
2. Changes in the number of synaptic connections between neurons: involves sprouting and pruning.

Question 7

What is habituation?

Answer 7

If we continually fire a neuron, the neurotransmitter will dissipate.

Question 8

What is sensitization?

Answer 8

The more we fire something, the receptor will become more sensitized and specific to a neurotransmitter. This is a short-term response.

Question 9

What is long-term potentiation?

Answer 9

We see a long-term change in the receptor and sensitivity to it.

Question 10

Is nonassociative learning identified as implicit or explicit learning? What occurs with this type of learning?

Answer 10

Implicit learning; involves the response to repeated stimuli, and habituation & sensitization.

Question 11

Is associative learning identified as implicit or explicit learning? What occurs with this type of learning?

Answer 11

Implicit learning; involves the prediction of relationships, and classical conditioning vs operant conditioning.

Question 12

Is procedural learning identified as implicit or explicit learning? What occurs with this type of learning?

Answer 12

Implicit learning; you repeat movement under a variety of conditions, which can automatically improve performance. You automatically learn rules for movement.

Question 13

Define explicit learning.

Answer 13

Factual knowledge that is consciously recalled. It involves encoding, consolidation, storage, and retrieval.

Question 14

With explicit learning, learning is optimized if?

Answer 14

There is motivation, attention to task, and has the ability to integrate new information with familiar tasks.

Question 15

Motor learning is…

Answer 15

The study of the acquisition and/or modification of movement. Motor learning is a set of processes associated with practice or experience leading to relatively permanent changes in the capability for skilled movement.

Question 16

Difference between implicit and explicit forms of motor learning in regard to instruction and feedback.

Answer 16

With implicit forms of motor learning, you are providing MINIMAL instruction with NO extrinsic feedback; you are saying “here it is, let’s go.” With explicit forms of motor learning, you are giving more instruction with extrinsic feedback; we may link it with manual guidance as well.

Question 17

What is trial and error learning?

Answer 17

Learning by repeatedly attempting to perform a task during which the learner detects errors and corrects them.

Question 18

What is observational learning?

Answer 18

Learning by observing a movement. The observer determines the key spatial and/or temporal features of the task through observation, and/or is directed to these features by the demonstrator/therapist. You are watching someone do the task, then performing what you saw.

Question 19

What is errorless learning?

Answer 19

Learning is facilitated by constraining the learning environment (instructions, skill difficulty) so that very few errors occur.

Question 20

What is discovery learning?

Answer 20

Learning without guidance or feedback from another person or information source. We see this used in children all the time.

Question 21

What is dual-task learning?

Answer 21

Learning a skill while simultaneously performing another task. The second task can be a motor or cognitive task but must be attention-demanding.

Question 22

What is motor imagery?

Answer 22

Learning by imagining oneself performing the skilled movement (in the first- or third- person perspective) without actually physically performing the movement.

Question 23

What is analogy learning?

Answer 23

Learning facilitated by metaphors. The complex structures of the to-be-learned skill is integrated into a simple metaphor that the learner is provided with.

Question 24

Difference between motor learning and motor performance.

Answer 24

Motor performance is an observable behavior; it varies between trials and does NOT equal capacity. Motor learning is acquiring or re-acquiring the capacity to perform motor skills. It is an internal mental process, rarely observable, relatively permanent, and retained.

Question 25

To observe the skill acquisition process, you will do this is _____ _____ _______ trials.

Answer 25

Short-term performance trials

Question 26

To observe learning, you will do this in ____ ___ _______ trials.

Answer 26

Long-term retention trials