Week 9: Motor Skills

Question 1

Define a motor skill

Answer 1

Four common characteristics of motor skills
(i) There is a goal to achieve
The action has a purpose
(ii) Performed voluntarily
Reflexes are not motor skills, but trained reactions are
(iii) Body and/or limb movement
E.g., math = cognitive skill; hitting a golf ball = motor skill
(iv)Need to be learned

Question 2

Three one-dimension systems of motor skill classification

Answer 2

Size of musculature, Distinctiveness of the movements, Stability of the environment

1. Size of musculature (precision of movement)
   -Gross motor skills
   Involve large muscles, and precision of movement is not that important
   Smooth coordination of muscles is essential
   -Fine motor skills
   Require control of small muscles to achieve a goal
   Usually involve a high degree of precision of movement and hand-eye coordination
2. Distinctiveness of the movements (defining beginning and endpoints of movement)
   -Discrete motor skills
   Clearly defined beginning and endpoints
   -Serial motor skills
   A series of discrete motor skills performed in a specific order
   -Continuous motor skills
   No obvious beginning and end points
   3.Stability of the environment
   -Closed motor skills
   Performed in a stable and predictable environment
   A self-paced task
   The object waits to be acted on by the performer
   -Open motor skills
   Performed in an ever-changing, unpredictable environment
   An externally-paced task
   Performer needs to react to the environment to be successful

Question 3

Distinguish: Between performance outcome measures and performance process measures

Answer 3

1. Performance outcome measures
   Measures the outcome or result of performing a motor skill
   A limitation is that this doesn’t tell you anything about how that outcome was achieved
2. Performance process measures
   Measures how aspects of the motor control system are functioning during the performance of an action
   E.g., muscles used, joint angles, nervous system activity

Question 4

Identify and Define: Various types of reaction times (i.e., simple, choice, discrimination), as well as pre-motor, motor time, and movement time

Answer 4

(a) Reaction time (RT)
i)Simple RT
One signal, one response
(ii) Choice RT
More than one signal, each with its own response
(iii) Discrimination RT
More than one signal, one response
Two parts of reaction time:
(1) Pre-motor time (PRMOT)
Time between the signal and the first change in EMG (electromyography) activity in the muscle
PRMOT represents time to:
Receive and interpret the signal
Develop an action plan
Convey information to muscles
(2) Motor time (MOT)
Time between first muscle EMG activity and observable movement
NOT directly observable (MOT = RT – PRMOT)
b) Movement time (MT)
The time interval between the start of a movement and its completion

(a) Reaction time (RT)
i)Simple RT
One signal, one response
(ii) Choice RT
More than one signal, each with its own response
(iii) Discrimination RT
More than one signal, one response
Two parts of reaction time:
(1) Pre-motor time (PRMOT)
Time between the signal and the first change in EMG (electromyography) activity in the muscle
PRMOT represents time to:
Receive and interpret the signal
Develop an action plan
Convey information to muscles
(2) Motor time (MOT)
Time between first muscle EMG activity and observable movement
NOT directly observable (MOT = RT – PRMOT)
b) Movement time (MT)
The time interval between the start of a movement and its completion