Motor Learning Unit 1 Quiz

Course Information

• Course name: Motor Learning (PHYL 4518)
• Semester: Fall 2024
• Instructor: Zoe Chan, PhD
• Instructor email: [email protected]
• Week number: 2

Course Content

• Physiological (motor control): Executing and monitoring movements. This involves the body's physiological and biomechanical systems.
• Psychological (motor learning): Acquiring, planning, initiating, and modifying movements. This involves the mind's information processing systems.
• Unit 1: Fundamentals of motor behavior, motor skills, and motor learning.

Learning Objectives

• Define and differentiate between movements, skills, reflexes and abilities, with practical examples.

Movement vs Skill

• Movement: Any change in the position or location of a physical entity, either voluntary or involuntary, active or passive.
  • Examples: blinking, using scissors, walking a tightrope, hip flexion.
• Skill: Goal directed movement requiring the mind, with emphasis on minimum outlay of energy or time.
  • Examples: blinking is a reflex, and is not a skill, using scissors is a skill.
  • Skills require intention and effort.

Motor Skills

• Goal-directed movements: Skills are intentional and voluntary, with the mind playing a key role in initiating and producing the movements.
• Muscle contractions: Skills require movement of joints/body segments via muscle contractions.
• Learn or relearn: Motor skills are learned or re-learned.

Characteristics of Motor Skills

• Motor equivalence: Ability to perform a skill or action in multiple ways, utilizing flexible muscle and joint recruitment to reach the same outcome. (e.g., catching a ball with either hand).
• Motor variability: Variations in movement patterns when repeating a task, which are observable in trajectories, endpoints, and joint angles.
• Motor consistency: Performance consistency in executing the same skill repeatedly, achieving similar outcomes consistently.
• Motor modifiability: Capability of altering a movement pattern while executing it for a new action goal.

Abilities

• General capacity: The broad capability an individual possesses concerning task performance.
• Potential vs. performance: Possessing an ability does not guarantee skilled performance. A high skill level necessitates a strong ability.
• Underlying motor skills: Abilities operate in harmony or individually as underpinnings of motor skills.
• Types of abilities: e.g. muscle strength (weightlifting performance), agility (running speed and cardiorespiratory fitness), reaction time (e.g., shuttle run).

Physical Abilities

• Predominantly based on physiological and anatomical characteristics.
• Highly modifiable through training (e.g., muscle strength, muscle mass).
• Some are static, like stature, and less modifiable through training.

Psychomotor Abilities

• Cognitive processes involving movement.
• Examples: hand-eye coordination, reaction time, dexterity.
• Crucial for tasks like catching a ball, driving, playing a musical instrument.

Psychological Abilities

• Behavioral/psychological characteristics contributing to successful motor performance.
• Difficult to quantify compared to physical abilities.
• Essential in various scenarios, like motivation, concentration, and speed of decision-making.

Combining Abilities

• Successful motor skill performance often includes several abilities.

• Example: Agility, running speed, and cardio-respiratory fitness combines for efficient performance.

• MovementChange in position or location of any physical entity, voluntary or involuntary.Blinking (involuntary), walking on a tightrope (voluntary), hip flexion.

  Motor SkillGoal-directed, intentional, voluntary movements requiring joint/body segment actions.Using scissors, driving a car, playing the piano.

  SkillThe ability to achieve an outcome with maximum certainty and minimal energy/time expenditure.Weightlifting (certainty + energy efficiency), playing darts (high precision).

  AbilityGeneral capacity related to task performance, not always resulting in skilled performance.Agility, running speed, cardiorespiratory fitness (e.g., shuttle run).

  Physical AbilitiesBased on physiological and anatomical traits, modifiable through training or genetic factors.Muscle strength, maximal oxygen uptake, muscle mass.

  Psychomotor AbilitiesMovement-related abilities requiring cognitive processing.Hand-eye coordination, reaction time, dexterity (e.g., catching a ball, playing a musical instrument).

  Psychological AbilitiesBehavioral and psychological traits affecting motor performance.Motivation, concentration, decision-making speed.

  Motor EquivalencePerforming the same action using different muscles or methods.Writing with dominant vs. non-dominant hand, catching a ball with one hand or two.

  Motor VariabilityNatural variation in performing the same skill repeatedly.Differences in stroke timing during swimming across laps.

  Motor ConsistencyRepeatedly achieving the same outcome in skill performance.Consistent free-throw shooting in basketball.

  Motor ModifiabilityAdjusting movement patterns to achieve a new goal, even mid-action.Altering your swing to hit a curveball in baseball.

• 1. Physiological Aspect:

  • This relates to the body's ability to execute and monitor movements.
  • It includes the motor control systems, such as muscle contractions, coordination, and biomechanical adjustments necessary for movement execution.

  2. Psychological Aspect:

  • This relates to the mind's role in acquiring, planning, initiating, and modifying movements.
  • It involves cognitive processes like attention, memory, decision-making, and learning strategies essential for mastering motor skills.