Motor Learning: Introduction to Skill Acquisition

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the notes on motor learning, control, development, and skill classifications.

Motor Learning

The process involved in acquiring a motor skill and the factors that enhance or inhibit the ability to perform that skill.

Motor Control

The underlying process of movement studied by examining neural, physical, and behavioral aspects of human movement.

Learning

The process involved in the acquisition of a motor skill.

Development

The products and underlying processes of motor behaviour changes across the lifespan.

Behavior

Umbrella term for the fields of motor control, motor learning and motor development.

Movements

Basic unit of motion, typically involving muscle activation and joint displacement.

Skill

A goal-directed action, organized, learned and refined through practice.

Ability

Stable characteristics that underlie the performance of skills; largely inherited or developed early in life and generally not modifiable through practice.

Biological / Physical characteristics

Biological attributes that influence motor performance.

Cognitive factors

Mental processes that influence motor performance.

Psychological traits

Individual psychological characteristics affecting motor performance.

Experimental / Environmental influences

External factors that can influence motor performance and practice.

General motor ability hypothesis

The idea that an athlete possesses a single general ability that underlies motor performance.

Henry's specificity hypothesis

The idea that motor abilities are specific to particular tasks or skills.

Perceptual Motor Abilities

Abilities involving the coordination of perception and movement.

Multi-limb coordination

Ability to coordinate the movement of several limbs simultaneously (e.g., playing the piano).

Control precision

Ability to make highly controlled movement adjustments, particularly with large muscle groups.

Response orientation

Ability to make quick choices among numerous alternative movements.

Reaction time

Ability to react quickly to a stimulus.

Rate control

Ability to produce continuous anticipatory movement adjustments in response to changes in the speed of a moving target.

Manual dexterity

Ability to manipulate relatively large objects with the hands or arms.

Finger dexterity

Ability to manipulate small objects.

Arm-hand steadiness

Ability to make precise arm and hand positioning movements where strength and speed are not required.

Wrist-finger speed

Ability to rapidly move the wrist and fingers with little or no accuracy demands.

Aiming

A highly restricted ability requiring the production of accurate hand movements to a target under speeded conditions.

Explosive strength

Ability to expend a maximum of energy in one explosive act.

Static strength

Ability to exert forces against a relatively heavy weight or an immovable object.

Dynamic strength

Ability to repeatedly or continuously move or support the weight of the body.

Trunk strength

Dynamic strength focused on the trunk and abdominal muscles.

Extent flexibility

Ability to extend or stretch the body as far as possible in various directions.

Dynamic flexibility

Ability to make repeated, rapid movements requiring muscle flexibility.

Gross body equilibrium

Ability to maintain total body balance in the absence of vision.

Balance with visual cues

Ability to maintain total body balance when visual cues are available.

Speed of limb movement

Ability to move the arms or legs quickly, but without a reaction time stimulus, to minimize movement time.

Gross body coordination

Ability to perform several complex movements simultaneously.

Stamina

Ability to exert the entire body for a prolonged period; a kind of cardiovascular endurance.

One-dimensional classification of skills

Classification of skills along a single dimension, including precision of movement, environmental predictability, and task organization.

Precision of Movement

Gross vs. Fine: gross uses large muscles; fine uses small muscles for precision.

Gross motor skills

Use of large muscles to perform a movement task.

Fine motor skills

Use of small muscles to perform movements with precision.

Open environment

Environment that is unpredictable and constantly changing.

Closed environment

Environment that is stable and unchanging.

Discrete

Clearly defined beginning and ending of a movement task.

Serial

A series of discrete skills performed in rapid succession.

Continuous

Movement task performed repeatedly for an arbitrary duration.

Gentile's Two-Dimensional Taxonomy

A framework describing action requirements and environmental demands for motor skills.

Body orientation

Part of action requirements: stability or mobility needed in a movement.

Object manipulation

Part of action requirements: handling an object (manipulation) vs. not handling (non-manipulation).

Regulatory variability

Environmental demands: whether the environment is stationary or in motion.

Trial variability

Environmental demands: whether trials are consistent or variable.