Introduction to Motor Skill Performance and Motor Skill Classification

Motor

Refers to human movement

What is the only way humans have of affecting the world

Movement

Three Sub-Disciplines of Motor Behavior

A. Motor Control

B. Motor Learning

C. Motor Development

Motor Control

How we control movement

Motor Learning

How we learned to control our movements

Motor Development

In which skill changes throughout the life span

Motor Skill Conceptualization

1) As a Task involving movement

2) Viewed as a level of performance proficiency

Classification of Different Categories of Motor Skill

-Discrete

-Serial

-Continuous

-Open

-Closed

-Fine

-Gross

-Cognitive

-Motor

Discrete Skill

Skills with a beginning and a end

Exp: Throwing a Dart

Serial Skill

-Skills put together to create a new one

-Sequence

-Exp: Playing a piano

Continuous Skill

-Does not have a definable end

-Exp: Walking, Jogging, Swimming, Riding a bicycle

Open Skill

-Skill in an unpredictable environment

-Exp: Chasing a bunny

Closed Skill

-Totally predictable

-Planned ahead

Fine Skill

Small muscles in body through movement

Gross Skill

Large muscles in body through movement

Cognitive Skill

Decision-making, mental processes, motor skill is not important here

Motor Skill

Physical movement and coordination

Three Critical elements in the performance of almost any motor Skill

1) Perceiving (Information)

2) Deciding (What to do)

3) Producing (The action)

Skill

Consists of the ability to bring about an end result with Maximum certainty, minimum outlay of energy, and minimum time to achieve goal

Error Scores

-Absolute Error

-Constant Error

-Variable Error

Absolute Error

-Unsigned (No Positive/negative signs)

-Doesn't tell you direction

Constant Error

-Signed

-Shows Direction

Variable Error

Individual's consistency around their averages