KINE 406 - Test 4

Describe features of behavior that indicate that an individual has made a change in motor performance.

Accuracy, faster, more consistent, persistent, adaptable, economical.

What is a transfer paradigm?

Brain's ability to apply what it already knows from previous experiences, knowledge, or skills to new learning situations, making learning more efficient and meaningful.

Why is the transfer paradigm important?

Explains how the brain learns most effectively.

What is a transfer test?

Type of assessment designed to evaluate how well a learner can transfer knowledge or skills from a learned situation to a new (but similar) situation.

What is the difference between the transfer paradigm and a transfer test?

Transfer paradigm is theoretical framework to explain learning across contexts. Transfer test is an assessment tool and measures learning in new contexts.

Does practice make perfect?

No. But the right kind of practice can lead to making progress.

What changes occur in neural activation patterns as a result of extensive practice?

Neural plasticity: more efficient in activation, shift from conscious to automatic control, reduced cognitive load, fast automatic performance.

What is consolidation?

Process by which the brain stabilizes and strengthens new memories or skills, turning short-term into long-term memory.

How would you conduct an experiment to verify consolidation can impact learning?

Incorporate sleep after learning into experiment design to evaluate offline gains. Think Lina's experiment design.

What is the difference between practice composition and scheduling?

Practice composition is what and how you practice within a session. Practice scheduling is when and how often you practice.

Identify two practice manipulations that influence composition, and scheduling.

Practice composition: blocked vs random practice, task variability

Scheduling: massed vs. distributed practice, inter-session interval manipulation

What is contextual interference?

Learning effect that occurs when different skills or tasks are practiced in a varied, mixed order as opposed to repeating the same task over and over.

Is greater contextual interference during practice useful for acquisition, retention, and transfer?

Greater effects for retention and transfer. Forces the brain to reprocess and reconstruct the task each time.

What the difference between consolidation and long-term retention?

Consolidation is a transferring info from short to long-term memory. Long-term retention is accessing and using stored information after it's been consolidated.

Changes in the neural system beyond just modifying activation patterns also occur as a result of experience. What are the nature of these changes?

Neuroplasticity

What is white and gray matter?

White matter: deeper in brain, signal transmission and communication.

Gray matter: Outer brain layer, information processing and decision-making.

What is practice distribution?

How practice time is spaced or spread out over multiple sessions rather than being done all at once.

How does practice distribution impact learning?

Reduces mental fatigue, encourages memory consolidation and leads to better retention and transfer of skills.

What is perceptual-motor control?

Brain and bodies ability to process sensory information and use it to guide and coordinate movements.

What is perceptual-motor learning?

Process by which we improve our ability to use sensory information to guide and control our movements through practice and experience.

How are perceptual-motor control and learning different?

Control is how you use your senses and muscles together right now to do the task. Learning is getting better at the task over time through practice.

What are the advantages of Willingham's model?

Provides a framework that connects cognitive processes, memory, and practice to real-world teaching and learning strategies.

What are some shortcomings of this model?

Underspecified, doesn't take into account for change/learning, no hemispheric specialization.

Describe the difference between the concept of a principle and a process in the context of Willingham's model.

Principle tells you what works or what is generally true in learning. Process tells you how it actually happens inside the brain.

What are the three different types of motor skills?

Sequence skills, adaptation skills, and bimanual or coordination skills.

What are the 4 learning modes?

Error-based learning, reinforcement learning, use-dependent learning, cognitive strategy.

What is error-based learning?

Learn by making mistakes, recognizing errors, and adjusting their behavior or thinking based on feedback.

What is reinforcement learning?

Behavior is shaped by the consequences that follow it. Typically through rewards and punishments.

What is use-dependent learning?

Change in the brain and behavior that occur as a direct result of repeated use or practice of a skill.

What is cognitive strategy?

Deliberate thought process that helps a person learn, remember, understand, or solve problems more effectively.

What are sequence skills?

Performing actions in a specific order to achieve a goal. Ex.) brushing teeth, golf swing, basketball shot.

What are adaptation skills?

Skills that allow someone to modify their actions when things don't go as planned. Ex.) Changing pace/direction in soccer, reacting to an unexpected serve in tennis, compensating for a slippery surface.

What are bimanual or coordination skills?

Motor skills that require both limbs to work together to complete a task. Ex.) Tying shoes, cutting food with utensils, playing an instrument.

What is performance?

Observable execution of a skill or task. Reflects how well someone can carry out an action or behavior.

What is learning?

Inferred from performance, a relatively permanent improvement in performance.

What is an example of an experiment that impacts online and/or offline periods?

Reis et al. (2009) tDCS at M1 (tDCS used for offline benefit)

Example experiment to show behavior is more accurate.

Elbow and wrist angle movement to draw circles.

i. IV: Trial type (practice/retention/no physical practice)

ii. DV: correlation between elbow/wrist angles

Example experiment to show behavior is faster.

Completing a 16-sequence task.

i. IV: Element in sequence, trials.

ii. DV: element duration (msec)

Example experiment to show behavior is more consistent.

Participants perform a sequential finger tapping task on a keypad, where they tap a specific sequence of keys as fast and accurately as possible.

i. IV: practice schedule

ii. DV: Movement time, reaction time.

Example experiment to show behavior is persistent.

Participants learn a specific finger-tapping sequence on a keypad, aiming to perform it quickly and accurately.

i. IV: Time interval between practice and retention test.

DV: Movement time, error rate

Example experiment to show behavior is adaptable.

Reaching task to touch targets on a screen using a touch pad. Visual distortion to accomplish goal. (Lina's experiment)

i. IV: Feedback condition (normal/distorted/post-distorted)

ii. DV: Accuracy, adaptation rate, aftereffect magnitude.

Example experiment to show behavior is economical.

Testing walker types to show which walker has lower cost to use.

i. IV: Type of trial (feedback conditions), device type

ii. DV: cadence (steps/min)

What does it mean if behavior is economical?

Operates at low cost.

What is the dual-task paradigm?

Method used to study how performing two tasks simultaneously affects performance.

What parts of the brain are increased in early learning?

SMA, DMS, PM, PPC, CB.

What parts of the brain are decreased in early learning?

PreSMA, M1, DLPC.

What parts of the brain are increased in late learning?

M1, S1, SMA, DLS.

What part of the brain is decreased in late learning?

CB

Is there more brain activation in early or late learning?

Early learning

What is S1?

Somatosensory cortex

What does S1 lead to?

Perceptual-motor integration

What are the (3) circuits for the striatum?

Motor, associative, limbic

What is the associative circuit?

Involved in cognitive functions like decision-making, planning, and working memory. Connects the striatum with prefrontal cortex and other association areas.

What is the motor circuit?

Planning and executing voluntary movements. Connects striatum with the motor cortex, thalamus, and other motor-related areas. Critical for initiating and regulating movement.

What is the limbic circuit?

Involved in emotion, motivation, and reward processing. Connects the striatum with limbic structures like the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex.

What are the key parts of the brain used in neuroplasticity that contribute to learning?

Hippocampus, striatum, cerebellum, and motor cortex.

What is the hippocampus?

Critical brain structure located in the medial temporal lobe. Plays central role in memory and learning.

What is the striatum?

Major subcortical structure in the brain. Key component of basal ganglia system. Plays a crucial role in motor control, habit formation, reward processing, action selection, and procedural learning.

How is the hippocampus and striatum working together?

Parallel learning systems, strategy shifts, competition and cooperation.

What is the occlusion index?

Measures how well someone performs when sensory input is removed. Used to evaluate internal prediction, motor planning, and expertise in motor learning tasks.

How is TMS and tDCS different?

TMS is DV and tDCS is IV.

What is the "Power Law of Practice"?

Performance improves rapidly at first, and then more slowly over time, following a predictable mathematical pattern.

What is an interesting feature when power law data is plotted by their logs?

It resembles a straight line.

What are neural changes with learning?

Recruitment, structural adaptation, connectivity

What are the changes in recruitment regarding neural changes?

Recruitment of more or fewer regions and activation level of the region recruited

What are the structural adaptations regarding neural changes?

Grey matter plasticity, white matter integrity

What is the paradigm that should be used to assess learning?

Retention and transfer paradigm

How are retention and transfer different?

Retention is over same task as practice, transfer is different but similar task as practice.

Identify different features of behavior that might change to reflect learning.

Accuracy, faster, more consistent, persistent, adaptable, economical.

What is contextual interference?

Disruption or difficulty caused by practicing several different tasks or variations in a random or varied order, as opposed to practicing each one repetitively in a blocked fashion.

How might you define reconstructive activity more precisely?

Cognitive process of rebuilding or reassembling a motor plan or memory trace each time a skill is performed.

What is meant by superior long-term memory structures?

Refers to well-organized, stable, and easily retrievable mental representations stored in long-term memory that support skilled performance.

How might we examine superior long-term memory structures?

Utilize methods that reveal the organization, stability, and accessibility of stored information or motor skills.