Motor Control PDF Reviewer: Fundamentals & Principles

Lesson 1 - Fundamentals and Principles of Motor Control: ​ MOTOR CONTROL: The brain's ability to organize and execute smooth, coordinated, and controlled movements. Fundamentals and Principles with Situational Examples ​ Degrees of Freedom: The capacity of the brain and nervous system...

Lesson 1 - Fundamentals and Principles of Motor Control: ​ MOTOR CONTROL: The brain's ability to organize and execute smooth, coordinated, and controlled movements. Fundamentals and Principles with Situational Examples ​ Degrees of Freedom: The capacity of the brain and nervous system to simultaneously control enormous variables. ○​ A basketball player shooting a free throw is simultaneously controlling the angle of their elbow, wrist, and knee joints, the force and trajectory of the ball release, the stability of their stance, and their focus on the hoop. ​ Serial Order: The sequencing and timing of individual movements that combine to form a more complex motor skill. ○​ A gymnastics routine consists of a specific sequence of movements performed in a particular order. The flow and timing between each skill are critical for a high score. ​ Motor Variability: The ability to alter or change a movement pattern, even while it is being executed. ○​ A badminton player reaching for a shuttlecock that's slightly off to their side will adjust their footwork, the reach of their arm, and the angle of their racket swing mid-movement to make contact. ​ Motor Consistency: The ability to reliably perform a motor skill with similar outcomes across repeated attempts. ○​ A skilled volleyball player can consistently serve the ball over the net and into a specific zone with a high degree of accuracy, even under pressure during a game at the Marikina Sports Center. ​ Motor Modifiability: The natural fluctuations and adjustments that occur during the performance of a motor skill. ○​ A soccer player dribbling the ball down the field constantly makes subtle adjustments to their foot movements based on the ball's movement, the terrain, and the position of defenders. If the ball starts to veer off course, they instantly modify their touch to regain control. ​ Motor Equivalence: The capability of achieving the same movement outcome using different combinations of muscles or body parts. Any area will produce any movement. ○​ A basketball player can make a shot from various positions on the court using different combinations of arm and leg movements. The outcome (the ball going through the hoop) is the same, even though the specific muscle activations and joint angles differ. ​ Perceptual Motor Integration: The ability to combine sensory input with motor actions, enabling individuals to interact effectively with their environment. ○​ A fielder tracking a fly ball constantly integrates visual information (the ball's trajectory, speed, and direction) with motor commands to position their body and adjust their glove for a successful catch. Lesson 2: ​ MOTOR LEARNING: The process of acquiring and refining motor skills through practice or experience, leading to relatively permanent changes in the ability to perform those skills. ​ Elements or conditions that can influence or affect motor learning. ○​ AGE: The stage of life of the learner, which can influence their capacity for motor learning. ○​ MUSCULOSKELETAL: Relating to the muscles and the skeleton, which are the physical structures involved in movement. ○​ EXPERIENCE: Prior practice or exposure to similar movements or tasks that can impact motor learning. ​ Motor Learning: A relatively permanent change in a person's capability to execute a motor skill as a result of practice or experience. ​ Motor Performance: The act of executing a motor skill. ​ MOTOR SKILL: A movement skill that is goal-oriented, requires body and limb movements, is voluntary, and must be learned and re-learned.