Goals & Subdisciplines
What are the three main subdisciplines of motor behavior?
Motor learning, motor control, motor development
Who is considered the “father of motor behavior”?
Franklin Henry
What is the purpose of using a novel learning task in research?
To study how movements are learned by ensuring participants have no prior experience
“Practice does not make perfect—_____ practice makes perfect.”
Perfect
What is one principle of motor development in children?
Children are not miniature adults; children are more alike than different
Which subdiscipline focuses on the acquisition of skilled movements through practice?
Motor learning
What theory did Franklin Henry propose in the 1960s?
Memory drum theory
Name one type of experimental design used in motor behavior research.
Between-group, within-group, descriptive
What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic feedback?
Intrinsic comes from the performer’s own senses; extrinsic comes from outside sources (e.g., coach)
Name one population that benefits from applying motor behavior research.
Physical educators, adapted PE teachers, physical therapists, gerontologists, coaches
What is the primary goal of motor behavior overall?
To understand how skills are learned, controlled, and developed across the lifespan
Name two themes that have persisted in motor behavior research since the early days.
Feedback, distribution of practice, transfer of training, retention, individual differences
What is one limitation of novel learning tasks?
They focus on the product, not the process, and may not reflect real-world physical activity
What theory proposes stored motor programs for automatic movements?
Schema theory
Give an example of motor movements outside of sport.
Surgeon using a scalpel, child learning to use a spoon, pilot controlling a plane
Contrast motor learning and motor control in one key way.
Motor learning involves the shift to skilled performance through practice, while motor control governs all movements, skilled or not
During what period did WWII influence motor behavior research significantly?
1939–1945
What alternative research approach studies high-level performance in context?
Studying expert performers
What is one key challenge to motor program theory?
Dynamical systems theory
What is the goal of developmental motor learning and control?
To understand skill acquisition across the life span
Provide a real-world example that illustrates motor development.
Ex: A child learning to ride a bike or an elderly person adjusting to mobility changes
What shift occurred in motor behavior research from the 1970s to present day?
Focus on growth, maturation, and developmental patterns of fundamental movements
What are two variables often examined when studying expert performers?
Decision making, skill execution, game-performance variables, knowledge specificity
Explain the concept of “degrees of freedom” in motor control.
It refers to the number of ways a movement can be performed—coordination of multiple joints/muscles
Describe the ruler drop experiment and how feedback was used.
Students caught a dropped ruler; some received feedback and improved more than those who did not