Motor Learning and Rythmic Activity

the acquisition of motor skills, the performance enhanement of learned or highly experienced motor skills, or the reacquisition of skills that are difficult to perform or cannot be performed because of injury, disease, and the like. Of interest are the behavioral and/or neurological changes that occur as a person learns a motor skill and the variables that influence those changes. 

how our neuromuscular system functions to activate and coordinate the muscles and limbs involved in the performance of a motor skill. Researchers may investigate this question while a person is learning a new skill or performing a well-learned or highly exerienced skill. 

Human development from infancy to old age with specific interest in issues related to either motor learning or motor control.

a) an activity or task that had a specific purpose or goal to ahieve

b)an indicator of quality of performance

T- task: too easy/ too hard

I- individual: experience, mentality, DNA, self-confidence, age

E- environment: equipment, $, +/- reinforcemtn, distractions, background

specific patterns of motion among joints and body segments used to accomplish action goals. 

1. There is a goal to achieve

2. the tpe of motor skills of interest in this text are performed voluntarily

3. Motor skill requires movement of joints and body segments to accomplish the goal of the task. 

4. They need to be learned, or relearned, in order for person to ahieve the goal of the skill. 

is an action that had goal of transporting the body from one location to another. 

a motor skill that requires the use of large musculature to achieve the goal of the skill 

ex: walking hopping jumping

motor skill that requires control of small muscles to achieve the goal of the skill, typically involves eye-hand coordination and requires high degree of precision of hand and finger movement

Ex: Signing a check, buttoning a shirt, typing a word on keyboard

a motor skill with clearly defined movement beginning and end points, usually requiring a simple movement

• Ex: fliipping light switch, hitting piano key

 motor skill with arbitrary movement beginning and end points. Skills usually involve repetitive movements

• Ex: Steering a car, walking, swimming

a motor skill involving a series of discrete skills

• EX: playing a song on a piano, typing a sentence on keyboard, shifting gears on a standard shift car

the supporting surface, objects, and/or other people or animals involved in the environment in which a skill is performed

a motor skill performed in a stationary environment where the performer determines when to begin the action.

• Ex: Picking up a cup, buttoning a shirt, shooting a free throw in basketball

a motor skill performed in a moving environment where the feature of the environmental context in motion determines when to begin the action.

• Ex: driving a car, catching a thrown ball, walking on a crowded sidewalk