What are Motor Skills

Question 1

Movements

Answer 1

Specific patterns of motion among joints and body segments

Question 2

Skills

Answer 2

Tasks or activities that have specific goals to achieve (action goals)
voluntary controls

Question 3

Actions

Answer 3

Term used synonymously with the term motor skills.

Question 4

What are the 3 characteristics or goals of a motor skill?

Answer 4

1. Achieved with maximum certainty.
2. Achieved under wide range of conditions.
3. Achieved with minimum effort.

Question 5

Motor Skill qualities

Answer 5

1. The learner
2. Environment
3. Nature of the skill

Question 6

Motor learning and motor control

Answer 6

1. Specific study of how skills are acquired and controlled

Question 7

What is Motor Learning?

Answer 7

1. Study of the process involving acquiring motor skills and the variable that promote or inhibit such acquisition.

Question 8

What are 3 motor learning qualities?

Answer 8

1. Acquisition of new skills.
2. Performance enhancement of well learned skills
3. Reacquisition of skills following injury, disease, etc.

Question 9

What is Motor Control?

Answer 9

Involves the study of neural, behavioral, environmental, and synergistic mechanisms responsible for human movement and stability.
1. Motor skills are expressions of the motor control system.

Question 10

Neurophysiology

Answer 10

1. Concerned with the neural processes that are associated with movement.

Question 11

Psychology

Answer 11

1. Concerned with high level skills with very little reference to the neurological mechanisms involved.

Question 12

Sir Charles Sherrington

Answer 12

1. 1857-1952
2. Simple reflexes composed a humans most complex movements.
3. Nobel prize winner for neurophysiology.

Question 13

Nikolai A. Bernstein

Answer 13

1. 1897-1966
2. Russian Physiologist
3. Movement coordination
4. Degrees of freedom

Question 14

Paul M. Fitts

Answer 14

1. 1912-1965
2. Psychologist
3. Movement accuracy
4. Developed Fitts Law

Question 15

Franklin M. Henry

Answer 15

1. 1904-1993
2. Psychologist
3. Advocated an experimental approach to the study of movement.
4. Pioneer of kinesiology

Question 16

Ester Thelen

Answer 16

1. 1941-2004
2. Psychologist
3. Infant Movement
4. Applied dynamical system theory to motor learning.

Question 17

Who studies motor learning?

Answer 17

1. Athletic Coaches
2. Physical educators
3. Athletic Trainers
4. Physical/Occupational therapist
5. Movement scientists
6. Ergonomic Designer

Question 18

What is the “Many to One” relationship to the movement action relationship?

Answer 18

1. Many movements together accomplish same action.
2. Ex. Walking

Question 19

What is the “ One to Many” relationship to the movement action relationship?

Answer 19

1. One movement accomplishes many actions
2. Ex. Wax on Wax off

Question 20

Why Classify Motor Skills?

Answer 20

1. Provides basis for identifying similarities/differences among skills.
2. Helps identify demands different skills place on performer/learner.
3. Provides basis for developing principles related to performing and learning motor skills.

Question 21

What are the 4 classification of motor skills?

Answer 21

1. 3 one dimensional systems
2. Environmental context
3. Function of the action.
4. Gentiles two dimensional taxonomy

Question 21

One dimension system 3: Stability of the environmental context

Answer 21

1. Closed motor skills
2. Open motor skills

Question 22

One dimension system 1: Size of primary musculature required

Answer 22

1. Two categories based on the size of the primary musculature required
   a. Gross motor skills
   b. Fine motor skills

Question 22

One Dimension System 2: Specificity of where movement begins or ends

Answer 22

1. Three main categories based on the specificity of where actions begin and end
   a. Discrete motor skills: Tennis serve
   b. Serial motor skills: Triple jump
   c. Continous motor skills: Water skiing

Question 23

What are closed motor skills?

Answer 23

1. Involve a stationary supporting surface, object, other people; performer determines when to begin the action.
2. Ex. Picking up a cup while seated at a table

Question 24

What are open motor skills?

Answer 24

1. Involve supporting surface, object, or other people in motion; environmental features determine when to begin the action.
2. Ex. Catching a thrown ball.

Question 25

Taxonomy

Answer 25

1. A classification system organized according to relationships among the component characteristics of what is being classified.

Question 26

What are two characteristics of taxonomy

Answer 26

1. Environment context in which the person performs the skill.
2. Function of the action characterizing the skill.

Question 27

What are the Environmental contexts of gentile’s two dimensional taxonomy?

Answer 27

1. Regulatory Conditions: Features of environment to which movements must conform.
2. Stationary or in motion
3. Inter trail variability: Variations in regulatory conditions from one trial to the next.
4. Non regulatory variability: Features of the environment that do not necessarily affect the task.

Question 28

What are the Functions of the actions of gentile’s two dimensional taxonomy?

Answer 28

1. Body Stability: Maintaining base of support in one position: no change in the body location when performing the skill.
2. Body Transport: Changing location of body
3. Manipulation: Maintaining/changing position of movable objects

Question 29

What are the practical uses of gentile’s taxonomy?

Answer 29

1. Guide for evaluating motor performance capabilities, limitations, and deficiencies.
2. Systematic basis for selecting progressions of functionally appropriate activities to increase and performance capabilities and deficiencies.
3. Chart persons progress: Develops and individual profile of competencies.