Lec 1: Motor Development

What is motor behavior?

The study of how humans move, learn movement, and change movement across the lifespan.

What are the three main components of motor behavior?

Motor control, motor learning, and motor development.

Define motor development.

Changes in movement ability across the lifespan, occurring from birth through old age.

What are the three definitive characteristics of motor development?

Continuous & cumulative, sequential & predictable, age-related but NOT age-dependent.

What does it mean that motor development is continuous and cumulative?

Development is always occurring, with some changes being obvious and others subtle.

Explain the sequential and predictable nature of motor development.

Development follows an orderly sequence where each step builds on the previous one, and the sequence is irreversible.

What is meant by age-related but not age-dependent in motor development?

Development is associated with age, but age does not cause development; experience, practice, and environment matter.

Why is it important to study motor development?

To understand how skills are learned, how the nervous system controls muscles, and how growth, maturation, and aging affect movement.

What is Newell's Model of Constraints?

A framework that explains movement as emerging from the interaction of individual, task, and environmental constraints.

What are individual constraints in motor development?

Factors such as body size, muscle strength, limb length, and psychological factors like motivation and confidence.

What are task constraints?

Goals of the movement, rules, and equipment that influence how a movement is performed.

What are environmental constraints?

Physical and sociocultural factors that affect movement, such as weather, surface, cultural expectations, and family influence.

How can motor development be measured?

By observing behavior over time and comparing different age groups.

What are developmental trajectories?

Patterns of growth that follow a sigmoid (S-shaped) curve, indicating periods of rapid change and plateaus.

What is atypical development?

Development that differs from the norm but still falls within the typical range, often due to different constraints.

What are proficiency barriers?

Points where development slows or stops, potentially leading to arrested development.

What are the three main research designs in motor development?

Longitudinal, cross-sectional, and mixed-longitudinal (sequential) studies.

What is the paradox of development?

The coexistence of universality in developmental patterns and variability in individual differences.

What is a key takeaway about motor development?

Motor development is lifelong, predictable yet variable, and emerges from interacting constraints.

What is the significance of the aging population in motor development?

The older adult population is rapidly increasing, making aging a key part of motor development.

What is the role of practice in motor learning?

Practice leads to permanent changes in movement ability and skill acquisition.

What does it mean for development to be predictable but not linear?

Growth follows a predictable pattern with periods of rapid change and plateaus, rather than a straight line.

How do constraints shape movement development?

Constraints limit some movements while enabling others, influencing how movement develops.