Chapter 3 Motor Abilities

7/30/2019 Chapter 3 Motor Abilities

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Chapter 3

Motor Ability

Concept:A variety of abilities underlie motor skill learningand performance success


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The Terms Ability and Motor Ability

Ability

A general trait or capacity of a person

Relatively enduring characteristic

Serves as a determinant of a persons achievementpotential for the performance of specific skills

Motor Ability

An ability that is specifically related to the

performance of a motor skill

Each person has a variety of motor abilities


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Abilities as Individual Difference

VariablesMotor abilities establish achievement potentialsfor specific motor skills

Each motor skill requires specific motor abilitiesto successfully perform it

If2 people have the same Amount of practice Level and amount of instruction Motivation to perform the skill

Then - Motor abilities will influence the levelof performance success each person can/willachieve


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Abilities as Individual Difference

Variables, contd

Two hypotheses:

General Motor Ability Hypothesis: many

different motor abilities that exist are highly

related within a person and can be groupedas a singular, global motor ability (Brace,

1927; McCloy, 1934)

Specificity of Motor Ability Hypothesis: manymotor abilities are relatively independent in an

individual (Henry, 1961)


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Controversy About Relationship Among

Motor Abilities

General MotorAbility Hypothesis

All motor abilities are

highly related to eachother

A person can be

described as having an

overall amount of generalmotor ability

Specificity of MotorAbilities Hypothesis

All motorabilities are

relatively independentEach person varies in the

amount of each ability

A persons motor ability

can be described only bya profile of amounts of

each of several specific

motor abilities


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Research Evidence Supports

Specificity Hypothesis

Research technique to test the question ofwhich hypothesis valid:

Correlate any two motor abilities

Each hypothesis predicts different correlationresultWhat are these different results?

Initial research compared RT and MT

Henry and colleagues (1960s) showed lowcorrelations

See example in A Closer Look p. 40


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Generality of Specific Abilities

Recent research has investigated whether

variations of a motor ability commonly

seen as specific actually represents one

ability.

Two Examples

1. Balance as a motor ability

2. Timing as a motor ability


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1. Balance as a Motor Ability

Static vs. Dynamic Balance Static Maintaining equilibrium while stationary

Dynamic Maintaining equilibrium while inmotion

Two Research ExamplesRose et al. (2002) Children with CP showed balance

problems while walking but not while standingDrowatzky & Zuccato (1967)Correlations among various

tests of static and dynamic balance typically ranged from .03to .26 [SeeTable 3.1]

Conclusion - Research evidence indicatesstatic and dynamic balance are distinct,

independent abilities


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2. Timing as a Motor Ability

External vs. Internal Timing External - Movement timing based on external

source (externally-paced timing)

Internal - Timing of movement based on personsinternal representation of time (self-paced timing)

Conclusion: Research evidence indicatesdistinct timing abilities are skill specific rather

than related to a general timing ability See experiments by Zelaznik and colleagues

described in textbook


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Identifying Motor Abilities

One example of an attempt to identify motor

abilities

Fleishmans Taxonomy of Motor Abilities

Described 11 perceptual-motor abilities

See Table 3.2 for complete list and definitions

Identified 9 physical proficiency abilities


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Perceptual Motor Abilities

Multilimb coordination ability to coordinate movementsof a number of limbs simultaneously

Control precision ability to make rapid and precisemovement adjustments of control devices involving

single are-hand or leg movements; adjestments aremade to visual stimuli

Response orientation ability to make a rapid selectionof controls to be moved or the direction to move them in

Reaction time ability to respond rapidly to a signalwhen it appears

Speed of arm movement ability to rapidly make agross, descrete arm movement where accuracy isminimized


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Perceptual Motor Abilities (cont)Rate control ability to time continuous anticipatorymovement adjustments in response to speed and/ordirection changes of a continuously moving target or object

Manual dexterity ability to make skillful arm-handmovements to manipulate fairly large objects under speededconditions

Finger dexterity abiity to make skillful, controlledmanipulations of tiny objects involving primarily the fingers

Arm-hand steadiness ability to make precise arm-handpositioning movements where strength and speed areminimized; includes maintaining arm-hand steadiness during

arm movement or in a static arm positionWrist, finger speed ability to make rapid and repetitivemovements with the hand and fingers, and/or rotary wristmovements when accuracy is not critical

Aiming ability to rapidly and accurately move the hand to a

small target


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Physical Proficiency Abilities

Static strength maximum force that a person

can exert against external objects

Dynamic strength muscular endurance used in

exerting force repeatedlyExplosive strength ability to mobilize energy

effectively for burst of muscular effort

Trunk strength strength of the trunk musclesExtent flexibility ability to flex or stretch the

trunk and back muscles


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Physical Proficiency Abilities

(cont)Dynamic flexibility ability to makerepeated, rapid trunk-flexing movements

Gross body coordination ability to

coordinate the action of several parts ofthe body while body is in motion

Gross body equilibrium ability to

maintain balance without visual cuesStamina capacity to sustain maximumeffort requiring cardiovascular effort


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Additional Motor Abilities

Static balance ability to maintain posturalstability on a stable surface or when not

engaging in locomotor acitviites

Dynamic balance ability to maintain postural

stability on a moving surface or when engagingin locomotor activities

Visual acuity ability to see clearly and precisely

Visual tracking ability to visually follow a movingobject

Eye-hand or eye-foot coordination ability to

perform skills requiring vision and the precise

use of the hands or feet


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Important Assumptions of

Taxonomy of Motor Abilities

All individuals possess these motor

abilitiesIit is possible to measure them

It is possible to quantified the level of each

ability in a person

low highaverage

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


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Relating Motor Abilities to Motor

Skill Performance

Task Analysis

The motor skill

The components of the skill

The motor abilities underlying the

performance of the skills components


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Tennis Serve

Grip Stance Ball Backswing Forward Ball Follow

toss swing contact through

Abilities

Multilimb coordination

Control precision

Speed of arm movementate control

Aiming

Static strength

Etc.

Chapter 3 Motor Abilities

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