Comprehensive Guide to Motor Skills, Classification, and Environmental Contexts

Motor Control

Understanding how the nervous system functions to activate and coordinate the muscles involved in performing a motor skill.

Coordination

The patterning of body and limb motions relative to environmental objects and events.

Motor Learning

The study of processes involved in acquiring motor skills and the factors that promote or inhibit acquisition.

Learning

A relatively permanent change in the capability to perform a skill.

Relearning

The reacquisition of skills that are difficult to perform or cannot be performed because of injury or disease.

Movement

Behavioral characteristics of specific limbs that are components of a skill.

Movements

Specific patterns of motion among joints and body segments; the building blocks of a skill.

Characteristics of a Skill

A skill is directed toward a goal, performed voluntarily, and acquired through practice or experience.

Goal of a Skill

A skill must be directed toward the attainment of a goal.

Voluntary Skill

A skill is performed voluntarily rather than as a reflex or involuntary action.

Acquired Skill

A skill is acquired through practice or experience.

Domains of Skills

Motor, perceptual, and cognitive.

Motor Skill

A skill that requires voluntary body or limb movement to achieve a goal.

Why Classify Skills?

Classification helps organize skills, compare research, and provide useful information for coaches and therapists.

Gross Motor Skill

A skill that mainly uses large muscle groups.

Fine Motor Skill

A skill that mainly uses small muscle groups.

Discrete Skill

A movement with a clearly defined beginning and end.

Serial Skill

A series of discrete movements performed together.

Continuous Skill

A movement with an arbitrary beginning and end that continues for a period of time.

Open Motor Skill

A skill performed in an environment where important characteristics change during performance.

Closed Motor Skill

A skill performed in a stable and predictable environment where important characteristics do not change.

Example of a Discrete Skill

Flipping a light switch.

Example of a Serial Skill

Playing a sequence of notes on a piano.

Example of a Continuous Skill

Swimming.

Gentile's Taxonomy

A system for classifying motor skills using environmental context and action function.

Two Main Parts of Gentile's Taxonomy

Environmental context and action function.

Environmental Context

Describes the conditions in the environment that affect how the movement must be performed.

Regulatory Conditions

Features of the environment that movements must conform to in order to achieve the goal.

Stationary Regulatory Conditions

Relevant environmental features stay stable, so initiation and timing are controlled by the performer.

In-Motion Regulatory Conditions

Relevant environmental features change while the skill is being performed.

Intertrial Variability

Whether the regulatory conditions are different from one attempt or trial to another.

Intertrial Variability Present

The regulatory conditions are different on each attempt or trial.

No Intertrial Variability

The regulatory conditions remain the same on each attempt or trial.

Four Environmental Context Categories

Stationary + intertrial variability; stationary + no intertrial variability; in-motion + intertrial variability; in-motion + no intertrial variability.

Action Function

The goal or action requirements of the skill, including body orientation and object manipulation.

Body Transport

The performer must change location while performing the skill.

Body Stability

The performer does not need to change location while performing the skill.

Object Manipulation

The performer must manipulate an object or interact with another person while performing the skill.

No Object Manipulation

The performer does not manipulate an object or interact with another person.

Four Action Function Categories

Body transport + object manipulation; body transport + no object manipulation; body stability + object manipulation; body stability + no object manipulation.

Simplest Gentile Taxonomy Skill

Stationary regulatory conditions, no intertrial variability, body stability, and no object manipulation.

Most Complex Gentile Taxonomy Skill

In-motion regulatory conditions, intertrial variability, body transport, and object manipulation.

Standing Without Assistance

Stationary regulatory conditions, no intertrial variability, body stability, and no object manipulation.

Standing While Holding a Book

Stationary regulatory conditions, no intertrial variability, body stability, and object manipulation.

Walking in a Hallway

Stationary regulatory conditions, no intertrial variability, body transport, and no object manipulation.

Walking in a Hallway While Holding a Book

Stationary regulatory conditions, no intertrial variability, body transport, and object manipulation.

Fencing During Competition

In-motion regulatory conditions, intertrial variability, body transport, and object manipulation.

Texting While Sitting on a Bench

Stationary regulatory conditions, no intertrial variability, body stability, and object manipulation.

Variable Practice

Practicing a skill under different conditions or variations.

Random Practice

Practicing different skills or variations in an unpredictable or mixed order.

Interleaving

Alternating between different concepts or skills during practice; similar to random practice.

Knowledge of Results

Feedback about the outcome or result of a movement.

Knowledge of Performance

Feedback about how the movement itself was performed.

Example of Knowledge of Results

"You scored 80 on that attempt."

Example of Knowledge of Performance

"You need to rotate your hips more."

Distributed Practice

Spacing practice or studying over time and including breaks instead of doing everything at once.

Retrieval Practice

Practicing recalling information from memory without looking at class materials.

Ways to Use Retrieval Practice

Put away materials, write or draw what you remember, recall main ideas, compare concepts, create examples, and connect ideas to your experiences.

Effective Studying

Attend class, engage with the material, read the textbook, space out studying, review old material, and practice retrieval.

Why Review Older Material?

Reviewing previous material keeps important concepts fresh in memory.

Cramming

Studying a large amount in a short period of time; the slides connect cramming with forgetting.

Four Course Modules

1. Motor Skills: Learning and Performance; 2. Neurophysiological Basis of Motor Control; 3. Theoretical Perspectives on Motor Control and Performance; 4. Cognitive Factors and Individual Differences.

Module 1 Question

How do we learn motor skills?

Module 2 Question

What neural systems make movement possible?

Module 3 Question

How do we choose and control movements?

Module 4 Question

Why do some people learn motor skills faster and perform them better than others?