Motor Control
Training Adaptations
Dr. Suzan Ayers
HPER 6310
Western Michigan University
Lecture Overview
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Changes in observable motor performance
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Changes at the neurophysiological level
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Changes in information-processing capabilities
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Factors affecting the learning of motor skills
Learning: a relatively permanent change in
performance due to practice/experience
Characteristics of
Skilled Performance
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Skilled performance
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Ability to attain desired result with minimum time/effort
Experts (10 yrs
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10,000 hrs
millions of trials)
Have ‘all the time in the world’
Make good decisions
‘Read’ situations well
Have consistent yet adaptable performances
Do many things automatically
Are fast and accurate
Are maximally effective with minimum attention/effort
Stages in Motor
Skill Acquisition
Stage 1: Verbal-Cognitive
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Completely novel task
Thinking and planning movement strategies central focus
Good verbal instruction & demonstrations very beneficial
Stage 2: Associative
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Single strategy/approach to task selected
“Fine-tuning” movement pattern & adjust to conditions
Specific task practice most useful
Practicing progressively more complex tasks helpful
Stage 3: Autonomous/Automatic
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Skill performance largely automatic
Difficult to ‘unlearn’ incorrect technique
Movement below conscious level (multi-taskable)
Motor skills are NOT generalizeable
Neurophysiological Adaptations
Plasticity
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Experience influences perception, decision-making and
performance by making physical changes in neural
pathways
Brain particularly plastic during early years, critical periods
Plasticity decreases but does not disappear with age
Neural Circuitry Changes
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Neuron response characteristics (speed, activation)
Establishment of new synaptic connections (new tasks
produce new pathways)
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Synaptic response characteristics (increased sensitivity)
Information-Processing
Adaptations
Sensory reception
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Experts/Novices the same (what is done w/ input the issue)
Perception
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Experts have superior pattern recognition skills
Experts can more accurately predict forthcoming events
Information processing skills highly refined in experts
Novice’s limited ability to interpret, understand and use
information to guide decision making & execution
Decision Making
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Experts’ ability to predict actions allows them to ↓ options
in decision-making process, therefore make more accurate
decisions
Organization & Execution
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Experts develop more advanced motor programs,
therefore ↓ demands on information processing system
allowing attention for other tasks
Observable Movement Patterns/Outcomes
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Experts capable of producing exactly desired outcomes on
a consistent basis
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More consistent: movement duration, trajectories, displacementtime characteristics, force-time curves
More efficient use of external forces while minimizing detracting
internal forces
More discrete neuromuscular recruitment patterns
SO WHAT? Training perception and decisionmaking skills is key to developing expertise
Factors Affecting the Learning
of Motor Skills
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Practice volume is a key discriminator between
novices and experts
Practice is necessary but not sufficient for
learning
Motor skills improve but never become “perfect”
Feedback is critical for learning
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More specific & from learner’s perspective is better
Limited to key features of performance
Summary feedback @ end of trial block better
Practice type is key
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Specific to applied task (game-like settings)
Degree of drill-like repetition
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Blocked (repetition of same skill for a period)
Variable/Random (same skill practiced in different conditions)
Practice organization over time
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Distributed (practice over several shorter sessions)
Massed (continuous practice of a skill for a long period)
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Blocked valuable early (Stage 1)
Variable & distributed produce most retention
Speed first then accuracy
Explicit learning can produce “paralysis by analysis”
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Movement skill and performance knowledge acquired together
Implicit learning good for cognitive tasks,
tentatively supported for motor tasks
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Distract conscious attention away from task at hand
Minimize verbal instruction
Resistant to forgetting and stress/anxiety