M OTOR L EARNING AND C ONTROL KNR 164

W HAT ’ S IN A N AME ? Motor Behavior Motor Control Motor Learning Motor Development Sometimes used synonymously –but they are different

M OTOR B EHAVIOR Motor behavior : the study of human movement or action Motor behavior is a fundamental human function that is essential to virtually all aspirations in life (Sherrington, 1924) Involves two overlapping themes: Motor control Motor learning

S UBDIVISIONS OF M OTOR B EHAVIOR Motor control Study of the neurophysiological factors that affect and maintain human movement The processes that underlie the production of movement Motor learning Study of the processes involved in acquiring and perfecting motor skills Motor development Process through which we pass during the course of our life

I NTERDISCIPLINARY There is not only interaction among the subareas of motor behavior, But with biomechanics and exercise physiology Working together, experts can more accurately detect subtle movement changes and differences

M OTOR D EVELOPMENT Motor development is the study of changes in human motor behavior over the lifespan, the processes that underlie these changes, and the factors that affect them The role of motor development is to: Understand present motor behavior What is happening and why it is happening Understand what this behavior was like in the past and why Understand what the behavior will be like in the future

H OW DO P EOPLE A CQUIRE M OTOR S KILLS ? Motor learning is the study of the processes people go through as they acquire and refine motor skills One must also consider the variables that promote or inhibit the acquisition of these skills This research influences how instructors, coaches, therapists, and others approach teach and rehabilitation What variables might promote or inhibit acquisition?

M OTOR L EARNING “Motor learning is a set of processes associated with practice or experience leading to relatively permanent changes in the capability for movement” Schmidt and Lee (2005) Motor learning = capability for movement rather than movement itself We must infer that motor learning has occurred form a change in motor performance

P RECISION OF M OVEMENT Fine motor skill Involving very precise movements normally accomplished using smaller musculature Gross motor skill Places less emphasis on precision and is typically the result of multi-limb movements

N ATURE OF M OVEMENT O RGANIZATION Discrete Beginning and end points are clearly defined Serial Composed of a number of discrete skills whose integrated performance is crucial for goal achievement Continuous Beginning and ending points are arbitrary

O NCE ACQUIRED, WHAT IS MOTOR CONTROL ? Motor control is the neural, physical, and behavioral aspects of human movement Does the brain integrate all sensory messages? Does arousal influence performance? Why do we sometimes forget how to do something? Why do we know how to do something even when we haven’t done it in a long time?

M OTOR C ONTROL (S CHMIDT, 1991) At a minimum, motor programs must: Specify the muscles involved in the action Select the order of muscle involvement Determine the forces of muscle contraction Specify the relative timing and sequences of contractions Determine the duraction of contractions

P ROFESSIONAL O RGANIZATIONS The Society of Neuroscience The International Brain Research Organization The International Society for Motor Control The North American Society for Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAPHERD) The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) The Biomedical Engineering Society

C AREER OPPORTUNITIES Research focused: Academic and industrial settings Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy Speech-Language Pathologist Athletic Training Orthotists and Prosthetists *May need to obtain graduate/doctorate degrees or their equivalent **Also may need certification and licensure