Summary - Paper 1 - Factors affecting participation in sport (Skill Acquisition)

3Skill Acquisition: Revision Notes

SKILL CLASSIFICATION:

Skill = Learned movement patterns acquired through training

Characteristics of a skill:
 Aesthetic
 Controlled
 Economical
 Fluent
 Accurate
 Consistent
 Efficient

Types of skill:
 Cognitive
o The thinking skills
o Used in decision making + problem solving
o e.g., deciding whether to pass or shoot

 Perceptual
o Used to interpret information gathered through your sense to guide your actions
o E.g., riding a bike, using visual feedback to judge distance to a corner + turn at the correct
moment

 Psychomotor
o Used by the brain to control physical movements
o E.g., making your legs move in the appropriate pattern to walk

Skill continua:
Difficulty:
Simple: Complex:
 Cognitive processes are less of a priority  Decision-making and coordination are
 Few subroutines important
 Multiple subroutines

Environmental:
Open: Closed:
 Environment has an impact on the skill  Environment does not impact on the skill
 Performance should be adaptable  Self-paced
 Decision-making is needed  Much less decision- making is needed

Pacing:
Self-paced: Externally paced:
 Performer is in control of the timing  Performer is not in control of the timing
 Closed skills  Open skills
 Requires decision-making

,Muscular involvement:
Gross: Fine:
 Requires high levels of control  Requires lower levels of control
 Uses small muscle groups  Uses large muscle groups
 Requires coordination  Involves basic motor skills

Organisation:
Low: High:
 Simple skills  Complex skills
 Discrete subroutines  Hard to separate subroutines
 Little cognitive processes needed  High level of cognitive processes needed

Continuity:
Discrete: Serial: Continuous:
 Has a clear beginning or  Can be easily split into a  No obvious beginning or
end series of discrete skills end point
 Short skill  Particular order of  Lengthy skill
subroutines


TRANSFER OF SKILLS:

 Occurs through an athlete’s development
 The more experience an athlete has of a learned skill, the more effect it will have on the future skill

Positive: When a previously leaned skill positively impacts the learning of another skill
Negative: When a previously leaned skill negatively impacts the learning of another skill
Bilateral: When the learning of one skill is passed across the body from limb to limb
Zero: When the learning of one skill has no impact on the learning of another

Optimizing positive transfer:
 Make the performer aware of any similarities and differences between the current and future skill.
 Do not attempt the complex skills too early, make sure that the basic skills are learned first.
 Motor skills should be fully learned, as this will lead to a solid foundation that can form the basis of a
new skill.

, TYPES OF PRACTICE:

Definition: Advantages: Disadvantages: Example:
Massed: The Useful for continuous skills Can become repetitive E.g., practising
continuous and tedious dribbling in football
practice of Useful for those with high by continuously
simple skills fitness and motivation Should not be used during running through
without levels dangerous skills cones
breaks
Allows motor programmes Can be hard to focus for
to be stored long periods

Good for improving fitness
Distributed: The practice Useful for those with low Can be time-consuming E.g. learning a
of skills that fitness and motivation gymnastic routine
is Breaks can be by stopping to
interrupted Useful for complex skills unnecessary for discuss each
with breaks which would benefit from experienced athletes subroutine
for discussion
discussion +
recovery Useful for discrete skills

Provides time for mental
rehearsal
Varied: The Environment and situation Often requires learning E.g., practising an
practising can be changed by the using a fixed method first attacking move in
of a skill in coach, preparing the rugby against
different performer for various Time-consuming different defensive
situations match conditions lines
Difficult for novice
Improves selective performers who find it
attention hard to make decisions

Useful for open skills Can’t be used for closed
skills
Makes training more
interesting
Mental: The Can allow the performer to Not as useful as physical E.g. imagining
creation of build up their confidence by practice when used alone yourself perform
a mental imagining successful successful penalty
image of a performance Limited effect for simple flicks in hockey
skill being skills before attempting
performed Useful for controlling to perform one
arousal

A good technique for
novices