Lecture Outline

Class Notes: The nature of motor skill

What is motor skill?

• skill as an activity or task
  
• related to quality of performance

Definitions of skill:

Dictionary definitions:

Webster: Skill is the knowledge of any act together with the expert ability to put the knowledge to use

Motor skill definitions:

1. Descriptive
   • Knapp:
     
     
     
   • Johnson:
     
2. Man on street definition
   • Higgins:
     
     
3. Underlying components of skill
   • Kelso - 2 approaches
     1. Biomechanical perspective

     • Mastery of the motor system and the large number of degrees of freedom in the motor apparatus.
       
     • Degrees of Freedom:
       

• Coordinative structure:

A concept that accounts for the linkages of degrees of freedom without consciously controlling each individual degree of freedom.


• Two extreme conditions:
  • Freinkenstien syndrome:

• Jerry Lewis syndrome

• 2. Information processing perspective
  • Skill requires the efficient use of sensory information and feedback in the organization and production of action.
    
  • An information processing model:
    
    

Definitions of motor coordination:

Dictionary definition:

Bernstein:

Definitions of motor control

Brooks: The study of posture and movements that are controlled by central commands and spinal reflexes . . . the name given to the functions of mind and body that govern posture and movement.

• Physiological Approach:
  
  
  
  
• Behavioral Approach:
  

General comment on skill:

• Motor skill requires spatial and temporal precision

1. external:
   
   
   
2. internal: