Chapter 3: Motor Abilities - ML

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to motor abilities, general vs. specific abilities, balance, timing, and Fleishman's taxonomy of motor abilities.

Motor ability

An ability that is specifically related to the performance of a motor skill.

Abilities as individual-difference variables

The concept that people have different levels of motor abilities even with the same training and practice experiences.

General motor ability hypothesis

The idea that many different motor abilities are highly related and can be characterized by a singular global ability, suggesting skill in one motor task predicts skill in others (little evidence to support it).

Specific motor ability hypothesis

The idea that individuals have many motor abilities, and each is independent of the others.

Balance

The ability to stand, sit, or move without falling; a multidimensional and task-specific ability.

Static Balance

A type of balance maintained while stationary.

Dynamic Balance

A type of balance maintained during movement.

Timing (Motor Skills)

An important component in the performance of many motor skills, categorized as external/anticipation timing or internal timing.

External (Anticipation) Timing

Precisely timing movement initiation with the movement of an external object (e.g., hitting a baseball).

Internal Timing

Timing movements based on knowledge of time (e.g., a dancer moving to a specific rhythm without music).

Fleishman's Taxonomy of Human Perceptual Motor Abilities

A classification system categorizing human motor abilities into two broad categories: perceptual motor abilities and physical proficiency abilities.

Multilimb coordination

Ability to coordinate movements of a number of limbs simultaneously.

Control precision

Ability to make rapid and precise movement adjustments of control devices involving single arm-hand or leg movements, made to visual stimuli.

Response orientation

Ability to make a rapid selection of controls to be moved or the direction to move them in.

Reaction time

Ability to respond rapidly to a signal when it appears.

Speed of arm movement

Ability to rapidly make a gross, discrete arm movement where accuracy is minimized.

Rate control

Ability to time continuous anticipatory movement adjustments in response to speed and/or direction changes of a continuously moving target or object.

Manual dexterity

Ability to make skillful arm-hand movements to manipulate fairly large objects under speeded conditions.

Finger dexterity

Ability to make skillful, controlled manipulations of tiny objects involving primarily the fingers.

Arm-hand steadiness

Ability to make precise arm-hand positioning movements where strength and speed are minimized, including maintaining steadiness during movement or in a static position.

Wrist, finger speed

Ability to make rapid and repetitive movements with the hand and fingers, and/or rotary wrist movements when accuracy is not critical.

Aiming

Ability to rapidly and accurately move the hand to a small target.

Physical proficiency abilities (Fleishman's Taxonomy)

A category of motor abilities including static and dynamic strength, explosive strength, trunk strength, extent flexibility, dynamic flexibility, gross body coordination, equilibrium, and stamina.

Aptitude tests (for motor abilities)

Tests used to determine an individual's ability to perform a certain job or motor task.

Evaluation tests (for motor abilities)

Tests used to assess progress, identify causes of deficiency, or monitor rehabilitation program progress.