MOTOR CONTROL AND MOTOR LEARNING
INTRODUCTION
- What is the limit of human reaction time?
- Why do football manufacturers change the characteristics of their product when a WC is nearby?
- Can an elite gymnast make a somersault as good as when he/she closes his/her eyes?
- Why/how can we become so incredibly skillful?
CHAPTER 1 DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS
WHAT IS MOTOR CONTROL AND LEARNING
ð Crossroad between different disciplines: philosophy, psychology, biomechanics/movement
analysis, (neuro)physiology
ð Controlling = processes involved in triggering an action (in central nervous system)
- Use to transform an intention/plan/idea into a successful action/execution
ð Learning = changes in these processes during practicing/learning/training
- Repeating a task that makes changes in the brain
ð Development = changes in these processes from pre-natal until senior age, how does motor control
naturally develop (no training)
SKILLS AND MOVEMENT
Motor skill or action
= conscious execution of a learned, goal-directed action consisting of movement of one or several body
parts in a coordinated manner
ð Movement is a (isolated) component of the skill -> can lead to the same skill in different ways
ð Learned (not developed by nature), goal-directed (idea/intention to effective action), +1 body part
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Characteristics skill
1. Goal directed = convert an intention into a successful action
2. Consistent = systematically reproducible
3. Efficient = minimal energy use (physically/mentally)
4. Optimal timing = not synonymous for maximum speed, adapted to task demands
Ability = personal and relatively stable trait that becomes basis for someone’s potential for specific task
ð Motor ability for a specific motor task
- Perceptual motor ability, psychomotor ability
ð All-round performers (good at anything, even if they have never done it, part of genetics makes you
good at any type of sport) and all-round learners
Fleischman (not an exhaustive list, know a few examples)
ð Perceptual motor abilities: multilimb coordination, control precision, orientation response, reaction
time, speed of arm movement, rate control, dexterity, arm-hand stability, speed of hand/fingers,
target aiming
1
,ð Physical abilities: static strength, dynamic strength, explosive strength, core stability, core mobility,
dynamic core mobility, gross motor coordination, endurance
Differences in behaviour/performance -> often the result of the abilities necessary for that task
ð 2 perspectives, 2 opposing theories
1. General motor ability (GMA): all abilities are related to each other and reflect one single
underlying ability (general, you’re good in sport or you’re not)
2. Specific motor abilities (SMA): abilities are not or barely related to each other (certain abilities for
one skill, other abilities for another skill, unassociated)
= testable hypothesis with correlation studies
During the 60’s -> a lot of experimental design studies to investigate abilities
ð General conclusion: abilities are not correlated with each other, apart from a few exceptions
- No longer follow the GMA-theory (not a part of genetic that makes us good at everything)
ð Important for the structure of a learning cycle and revalidation
Balance
ð If static and dynamic balance are not correlated, why do we first learn to stand and then to walk
- Balance as a factor does not exist, but balance control in a specific task context does exist
(static, dynamic, on 1 leg)
- In a specific environment (gravitation, water)
- For a specific person (athlete, physical disability)
ð There is not a thing as THE test for balance -> balance changes when you change the task,
environment or person
- No significant relation between different tests to evaluate balance -> every test measures
something else
- For each test you need a different combination of abilities -> low correlations
(correlation = number between 0 and 1 -> positive, between 0 and -1 -> negative)
Timing
- External timing or anticipation timing: align action with an external object or signal (no control)
- Internal timing: decide the timing yourself -> rhythm, cadence, tempo (jogging, walking, dancing)
ð Is timing dictated by a common structure or concept? OR is the external perceived timing a result of
the interplay between task, environment and personal traits
ð Experimental design (perform a task in a specific amount of time
- No correlation between timings in different tasks, no evidence in favor of GMA
- Varies greatly between variations of the task, timing is task specific, not a general construct
different accuracy,
Skill Ability
Training driven Genetically driven
Plasticity (because of training) Stable and lasting
Theoretically unlimited Limited in numbers (±50)
Based on abilities Fundamental for skills
‘all-round athlete’: combination of a large number of abilities on a very high level
2
,Task analysis
ð Decompose task in different parts -> go down to potential abilities that are the basis of the separate
components of the task -> work on one or more abilities in order to improve the components of the
task and in the end the whole task
ð Writing style: to what extent related to memory, cognition, intellectual abilities, motor skills,
attention…
- Identify most critical components with task analysis before you can design therapy
- Measured by specific tests
- Conclusion (correlate speed to potential abilities): visual processing is the key variable in fine
motor skill -> more focus on this in therapeutic intervention
- Being able to transform a representation of a letter in your brain into a motor skill
INFORMATION PROCESSING STAGES
ð Making decision about movement and action: initiate, modify, correct, change…
ð Each decision is preceded by a lot of information processing stages
1. Perceive relevant information from environment and body (stimulus identification)
- Analyze situation around you
2. Decide what to do and how to do it (respons selection and programming)
- Select appropriate respons based on analysis, programming respons
3. Production of organized muscle activity (respons execution)
ð In every action, unconsciously
SKILL COMPONENTS (PRESENT IN MOST OF MOTOR ACTIONS)
1. Postural component (example: stability during run)
2. Locomotor component (example: running)
3. Manipulation component (example: catch ball with hands)
CLASSIFICATIONS OF BEHAVIOUR
Some theories work for groups of task and not for other ones -> classification
ð 1 dimensional continuum (simple)
- Motor cognition ratio (to what extent is cognition involved in motor task and to what extent is
motor involved in task -> amount of decision making, amount of movement)
- According to task requirements
o Open vs closed (= environmental stability) -> to what extent is the action predictable or not
o Discrete – serial – continuous (discrete: clear start and end point, continuous: repetitive,
serial: succession of discrete tasks)
o Gross versus fine motor skills (size of involved muscle mass)
GENTILE’S TAXONOMY (2000)
2 dimensional: environment/task function
ð Environment
- Regulatory conditions: does the environment move (players, elevator, airplane, traffic)
- Intertrial variability: does the environment lead to differences between different trials (example:
irregular ground surface affects foot placement in running)
3
, ð Task function
- Body orientation: is the individual changing place (body and place in space)
- Manipulation: is an object manipulated (writing, soccer dribbling, balancing a cone on nose…) ->
doing something at external component
Gentile’s taxonomy
ð Use of taxonomy: not skilled enough
for task or too complex -> simplify
task in a structured manner
- Move to a different cell and later
you can go back to it when you are
more skilled
- Make actions more difficult or
differentiation
- Different dimensions
ð Relevance: classification, therapy, sport and PE (logical built up of sequences for teaching skills)
1 -> Not moving, no manipulation, no intertrial variability, no change in environment
16 -> in motion, manipulating ball, a lot of intertrial variability, environment is in motion (complex
situation)
CHAPTER 2 MEASURING MOTOR SKILL
Study of internal processes
- Structure of the brain (what happens when a part of the brain is removed?)
- Function (what happens when a part of the brain is (temporarily) out of order?)
- Information manipulation
Measurements
- Qualitative measurements -> execution (process)
- Quantitative measurements -> results (product)
- Combination
PRODUCT VARIABELES
REACTION TIME
ð Reaction time (RT) = timespan between signal and first noticeable movement (mostly external)
- Everything that happens in the brain, processes in the brain before you can produce a movement
- Simple measure that tells something about the complexity of the processes, but no more detail
about what is happening in the brain
- Discussion about the end point (mostly used is first noticeable movement, some use first EMG
noticeable onset as the end)
ð Movement time (MT) = necessary time to complete a movement / action starting from the first
noticeable movement
ð Response time (RsT) = reaction time + movement time
4
INTRODUCTION
- What is the limit of human reaction time?
- Why do football manufacturers change the characteristics of their product when a WC is nearby?
- Can an elite gymnast make a somersault as good as when he/she closes his/her eyes?
- Why/how can we become so incredibly skillful?
CHAPTER 1 DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS
WHAT IS MOTOR CONTROL AND LEARNING
ð Crossroad between different disciplines: philosophy, psychology, biomechanics/movement
analysis, (neuro)physiology
ð Controlling = processes involved in triggering an action (in central nervous system)
- Use to transform an intention/plan/idea into a successful action/execution
ð Learning = changes in these processes during practicing/learning/training
- Repeating a task that makes changes in the brain
ð Development = changes in these processes from pre-natal until senior age, how does motor control
naturally develop (no training)
SKILLS AND MOVEMENT
Motor skill or action
= conscious execution of a learned, goal-directed action consisting of movement of one or several body
parts in a coordinated manner
ð Movement is a (isolated) component of the skill -> can lead to the same skill in different ways
ð Learned (not developed by nature), goal-directed (idea/intention to effective action), +1 body part
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Characteristics skill
1. Goal directed = convert an intention into a successful action
2. Consistent = systematically reproducible
3. Efficient = minimal energy use (physically/mentally)
4. Optimal timing = not synonymous for maximum speed, adapted to task demands
Ability = personal and relatively stable trait that becomes basis for someone’s potential for specific task
ð Motor ability for a specific motor task
- Perceptual motor ability, psychomotor ability
ð All-round performers (good at anything, even if they have never done it, part of genetics makes you
good at any type of sport) and all-round learners
Fleischman (not an exhaustive list, know a few examples)
ð Perceptual motor abilities: multilimb coordination, control precision, orientation response, reaction
time, speed of arm movement, rate control, dexterity, arm-hand stability, speed of hand/fingers,
target aiming
1
,ð Physical abilities: static strength, dynamic strength, explosive strength, core stability, core mobility,
dynamic core mobility, gross motor coordination, endurance
Differences in behaviour/performance -> often the result of the abilities necessary for that task
ð 2 perspectives, 2 opposing theories
1. General motor ability (GMA): all abilities are related to each other and reflect one single
underlying ability (general, you’re good in sport or you’re not)
2. Specific motor abilities (SMA): abilities are not or barely related to each other (certain abilities for
one skill, other abilities for another skill, unassociated)
= testable hypothesis with correlation studies
During the 60’s -> a lot of experimental design studies to investigate abilities
ð General conclusion: abilities are not correlated with each other, apart from a few exceptions
- No longer follow the GMA-theory (not a part of genetic that makes us good at everything)
ð Important for the structure of a learning cycle and revalidation
Balance
ð If static and dynamic balance are not correlated, why do we first learn to stand and then to walk
- Balance as a factor does not exist, but balance control in a specific task context does exist
(static, dynamic, on 1 leg)
- In a specific environment (gravitation, water)
- For a specific person (athlete, physical disability)
ð There is not a thing as THE test for balance -> balance changes when you change the task,
environment or person
- No significant relation between different tests to evaluate balance -> every test measures
something else
- For each test you need a different combination of abilities -> low correlations
(correlation = number between 0 and 1 -> positive, between 0 and -1 -> negative)
Timing
- External timing or anticipation timing: align action with an external object or signal (no control)
- Internal timing: decide the timing yourself -> rhythm, cadence, tempo (jogging, walking, dancing)
ð Is timing dictated by a common structure or concept? OR is the external perceived timing a result of
the interplay between task, environment and personal traits
ð Experimental design (perform a task in a specific amount of time
- No correlation between timings in different tasks, no evidence in favor of GMA
- Varies greatly between variations of the task, timing is task specific, not a general construct
different accuracy,
Skill Ability
Training driven Genetically driven
Plasticity (because of training) Stable and lasting
Theoretically unlimited Limited in numbers (±50)
Based on abilities Fundamental for skills
‘all-round athlete’: combination of a large number of abilities on a very high level
2
,Task analysis
ð Decompose task in different parts -> go down to potential abilities that are the basis of the separate
components of the task -> work on one or more abilities in order to improve the components of the
task and in the end the whole task
ð Writing style: to what extent related to memory, cognition, intellectual abilities, motor skills,
attention…
- Identify most critical components with task analysis before you can design therapy
- Measured by specific tests
- Conclusion (correlate speed to potential abilities): visual processing is the key variable in fine
motor skill -> more focus on this in therapeutic intervention
- Being able to transform a representation of a letter in your brain into a motor skill
INFORMATION PROCESSING STAGES
ð Making decision about movement and action: initiate, modify, correct, change…
ð Each decision is preceded by a lot of information processing stages
1. Perceive relevant information from environment and body (stimulus identification)
- Analyze situation around you
2. Decide what to do and how to do it (respons selection and programming)
- Select appropriate respons based on analysis, programming respons
3. Production of organized muscle activity (respons execution)
ð In every action, unconsciously
SKILL COMPONENTS (PRESENT IN MOST OF MOTOR ACTIONS)
1. Postural component (example: stability during run)
2. Locomotor component (example: running)
3. Manipulation component (example: catch ball with hands)
CLASSIFICATIONS OF BEHAVIOUR
Some theories work for groups of task and not for other ones -> classification
ð 1 dimensional continuum (simple)
- Motor cognition ratio (to what extent is cognition involved in motor task and to what extent is
motor involved in task -> amount of decision making, amount of movement)
- According to task requirements
o Open vs closed (= environmental stability) -> to what extent is the action predictable or not
o Discrete – serial – continuous (discrete: clear start and end point, continuous: repetitive,
serial: succession of discrete tasks)
o Gross versus fine motor skills (size of involved muscle mass)
GENTILE’S TAXONOMY (2000)
2 dimensional: environment/task function
ð Environment
- Regulatory conditions: does the environment move (players, elevator, airplane, traffic)
- Intertrial variability: does the environment lead to differences between different trials (example:
irregular ground surface affects foot placement in running)
3
, ð Task function
- Body orientation: is the individual changing place (body and place in space)
- Manipulation: is an object manipulated (writing, soccer dribbling, balancing a cone on nose…) ->
doing something at external component
Gentile’s taxonomy
ð Use of taxonomy: not skilled enough
for task or too complex -> simplify
task in a structured manner
- Move to a different cell and later
you can go back to it when you are
more skilled
- Make actions more difficult or
differentiation
- Different dimensions
ð Relevance: classification, therapy, sport and PE (logical built up of sequences for teaching skills)
1 -> Not moving, no manipulation, no intertrial variability, no change in environment
16 -> in motion, manipulating ball, a lot of intertrial variability, environment is in motion (complex
situation)
CHAPTER 2 MEASURING MOTOR SKILL
Study of internal processes
- Structure of the brain (what happens when a part of the brain is removed?)
- Function (what happens when a part of the brain is (temporarily) out of order?)
- Information manipulation
Measurements
- Qualitative measurements -> execution (process)
- Quantitative measurements -> results (product)
- Combination
PRODUCT VARIABELES
REACTION TIME
ð Reaction time (RT) = timespan between signal and first noticeable movement (mostly external)
- Everything that happens in the brain, processes in the brain before you can produce a movement
- Simple measure that tells something about the complexity of the processes, but no more detail
about what is happening in the brain
- Discussion about the end point (mostly used is first noticeable movement, some use first EMG
noticeable onset as the end)
ð Movement time (MT) = necessary time to complete a movement / action starting from the first
noticeable movement
ð Response time (RsT) = reaction time + movement time
4
