MCP Exam #2

Motor Performance

 The observable, behavioral execution of a skill at a specific time and in a specific context. Performance is temporary and can fluctuate due to external factors.

Motor Learning

An internal, relatively permanent change in the capability to perform a skill resulting from practice or experience.

Why Learning Cannot Be Observed Directly

because learning is a change in n internal capability, it cannot be seen with the naked eye. Instead, it mist be inferred from relatively permanent improvements in performance observed over time

Temporary Performance influences

factors that alter performance temporarily without reflecting true learning

Temporary Performance influences (internal variable)

Fatigue, motivation, anxiety, or alertness

Temporary Performance influences (external variable)

Environmental cues, coaching feedback, or motivational climate

Linear curve

promotional improvements over time (real gains per trial)

Negatively Accelerated curve

Rapid initial improvement followed by smaller gains later (this is the most combining type of learning curve)

Postitive accelerated curve

little initial improvement followed by the rapid gains later

S shaped curve

A combination of positive and negative acceleration. Slow start, rapid middle, leveling at the end.

Performance Plateaus

A temporary period during period during practice where observable performance halts or flatteners. A plateau does not mean learning has stopped; rather, the learner may be undergoing cognitive reorganization, strategies shift, or fatigue accumulation

To prove learning has occurred, experiments use a three- part design

Acquisition phase, retention interval (rest period), and retention/ transfer

Acquisition phase

practice sessions where the skills is learned/ practiced. Temporary variables are present here

retention interval (rest period)

a significant delay (hours, days, weeks) designed to let temporary performance factors (like fatigue or immediate feedback effects) dissipate

retention/ transfer test

assessing performance after the delay

retention test

evaluates the persistence of performances capability on the identical task after a delay

different types od transfers

near, far, positive, negative, and zero

near transfer

transfer between tasks or contexts that share high similarity

Far transfer

transfer between tasks or context with distinct differences

positive transfer

poor learning enhances the performance of a new skill/ context

negative transfer

prior learning inferferes with or hinders a new skill/ context

zero transfer

prior learning has no impact on the new skills

specificity of practice and identical elements

learning is most effective and transfers best when the sensory, cognitive, and environmental characteristics of practice closely match the target test environment

Fitts and Posner’s three- stage model

Cognitive Stag, Associative, and autonomous

Cognitive stage

high attentional demand, heavy conscious processing, large and frequent errors

Associative stage

refining the movement pattern, fewer and smaller errors, increased consistency

Autonomous stage

movement execution becomes automatic, requiring minimal conscious effort, freeing attention for environmental observation

Bernstein;s degrees of freedom framework

deals with how the body controls its many joints and muscles

types of degrees of freedom

freeze, release, exploit

freeze degree of freedom

ridgeway locking or holding non essential joints static to simplify control during early learning

release degrees of freedom

unfreezing joints as skill level rises, allowing smoother, more fluid multi-joint movement

exploit degrees of freedom

fully leveraging passive forces, gravity, and momentum for highly efficient movement

Newell’s constraints- led perspective

movement solutions emerge from the dynamic interaction of three constraint categories

three categories of newels constrains led perspective

individual constraints, task constraints, Environmental constraints

individual constraints

structural (height, weight, body type) and functional (motivation, anxiety, and intent)

Task constraint

goals of the games, rules, and equipment libations

part practice

best for high- complexity ddilld that can be easily broken down into independent components

whole practice

best for low complexity, high organization skills where breaking the movement apartment disrupts its natural coordination dynamics

Autonomy

giving learners control or choice over practice elements (order of tasks, feedback timing) enhances learning

Attentional internal focus

directing attention to ones own body movement “focus on straightening your elbow”

attentional External focus

directing attention to the environmental effect of the movement

demonstrations and mental practice

modeling and moto imagery activate neural pathways similar to physical execution, facilitating learning

massed practice

practice concentrated in time with minimal or no rest intervals. Can cause fatigue and poorer retention

distributed practice

practice spread across longer or more frequent rest intervals within or across sessions

Why does distribution practice wins

it reduces physical/ mental fatigue, allows time for memory consolidation, and forces renewed retrieval effort upon returning to the task

constant practice

repeats one single version of a skill

variable practice

changes variations or environments, boosting long-term transfer

blocked practice

low contextual interference. relating the same skills continuously. Yields great performance during acquisition

random practice

high contextual interference. interleaving multiple skills unpredictably. impairs acquisition performance, but leads to superior retention and transfer

elaboration hypothesis

random practices forces learners to compare and contrast different tasks in working memory, creating richer memory trace

forgetting-reconstruction hypothesis

having to switch tasks force the learner to forget and then completely reconstruct the action plan anew for the next trial

intrinsic (inherent) feedback

optimal learning occurs when practice difficulty to the performer (visual, auditory, proprioceptive)

Augmented feedback

external information provided by a coach, video, or device

the two types of Augmented feedback

Knowledge of Results (KR) and Knowledge of Performance (KP)

Knowledge of results (kr)

feedback about the outcome of the movement relative to the environment goal (you missed wide right)

Knowledge of performance (KP)

feedback about the kinematic pattern or execution of the movement (you didn’t bend your knees enough)

The guidance hypothesis

frequent augmented feedback or physical guidance acts as a temporary crutch. It improves practice performance immediately, but prevents the learner from delving independent error- detection mechanisms, hurting long-term retention

Feedback reduction schedules (to beat the Guidance Hypothesis

Faded, bandwidth, summary, self-controlled

Faded feedback

high frequency initially, systematically reduced over time

bandwidth feedback

given only when errors exceed an acceptable threshold

summary feedback

provided for a whole block of trials after the block is finished

self-controlled feedback

provided only when the learner explicitly asks for it

Fitts’ law

predicts (MTMT) for rapid aiming tasks based on movement amplitude (AA) and target width (WW) using the index difficulty (IDID)

Schmidt’s impulse-variability Hypothesis

for rapid, open-loop movements, increasing speed or force increase motor noise/ force variability, which directly increase endpoint spatial error

interlimb coupling

the natural biological tendency for paired limbs to coordinate their timing and spatial paths

Kelso’s Phase Transitions: 

• As movement frequency increases, unstable anti-phase coordination spontaneously breaks down, triggering a phase transition into stable in-phase coordination.

Postural Control Terminology

Center of Mass, Base of Support, Center of Pressure (COP), Postural Sway

Center of Mass (COM)

The weighted average location of total body mass.

Base of Support (BOS)

The boundary area defined by all points of contact with the ground.

Center of Pressure (COP)

The point where vertical ground reaction forces are applied under the feet.

Postural Sway

Natural, ongoing micro-fluctuations in body position during quiet standing.

Balance Recovery Strategies:

Ankle, hip, stepping

Ankle Strategy

Used for small/slow perturbations on a firm surface; muscle activation proceeds distal-to-proximal.Hip Strategy

Hip Strategy

Used for large/fast perturbations or narrow support surfaces; muscle activation proceeds proximal-to-distal.

Stepping Strategy

Used when a perturbation displaces the COM outside the BOS, requiring a step to re-establish a new BOS.

Prehension Components:

Transport, Grasp, Grip Aperture

Transport Component

Reaching the arm out to bring the hand to the object.

Grasp Component

Shaping the hand/fingers to match object geometry.

Grip Aperture

The maximum opening distance between thumb and index finger during transport before scaling down to touch the object.

Relative Age Effect (RAE)

A systemic phenomenon in youth sports where children born early in a selection year cutoff exhibit early physical/maturational advantages, leading to disproportionate selection, coaching attention, and long-term opportunity.