Section B: Acquiring, developing and performing movement skills

2. Definition and characteristics of motor and perceptual skills

Syllabus

• (A) – Classification of skills – Placement of skill on continua to include (with examples)

• Gross and fine • Open and closed • Discrete, serial and continuous• External and internally paced • Simple or complex• High and low organisation

• (B) – Definition and characteristics of abilities– Characteristics: innate, underlying and enduring traits– Gross motor and psychomotor abilities, with examples

Classification of skill (muscular involvement)

Gross • Involve large muscle groups

• Involve large muscle movements

• Major bodily movement skills associated with:– Strength – Endurance – Power

Fine • Involve small muscle groups

• Involve small muscle movements

• Small bodily movement skills associated with:– Speed – Efficiency – Accuracy

Classification of skill (environmental influence)

Closed • Not affected by the

environment

• Stable, fixed environment (predictable)

• Internally/self paced predominantly habitual stereotyped movements

Open • Very much affected by the

unstable, changing environment

• Externally paced environment

• Predominantly perceptual movement patterns require adjustment

• Very often rapid adjustments, variation of skill needed

Classification of skill (the pacing)

Self/internally paced • Performer controls the rate

at which the activity is carried out

• Performer decides when to initiate movement

• Involves pro-action

• More closed skill

Externally paced • Action is determined by

external sources

• Involves the performer in reaction

• More open skill

Classification of skill (the difficulty)

Simple • Not affected by the

environment

• Few sub-routines

• Little information to process

• Time to evaluate the situation

• Feedback is not essential

Complex • Very much affected by the unstable,

changing environment

• Numerous sub-routines which must be performed in the correct sequence and at the right time

• Large amount of information to process

• Short amount of time to evaluate the situation

• Feedback aids the performance

Application of classification to the organisation of practice

• When considering the practice, a coach should carry out a task analysis and ask:

– Is it a simple or complex task? – Is it an organised or unorganised task? – What is the classification? – Is transfer possible?

After asking these questions, it will help the coach to decide upon the method used to best teach that skill

Classification of skill (organisation)

Low organisation • Sub-routines can be

identified easily and isolated from the overall movement

• Sub-routines can be practised and developed to improve overall performance

High organisation • Sub-routines are difficult to

identify and isolate from the overall movement

• Sub-routines have to be practised as part of the whole movement

Discrete Serial Continuous

Well-defined beginning and end

A number of discrete skills put together to make a sequence

Poorly defined beginning and end

Brief in nature Order in which the distinct elements are put together is very important

Activity continues for unspecified time

Movement are repeated (hitting, catching, vaulting)

Each movement is both stimulus and response (triple jump, high jump)

End of one movement is beginning of next (swimming, running)

Ability defined…

• An inherited, relatively enduring trait that underlies or supports various kinds of motor and cognitive activities or skills. Abilities are thought of as being largely genetically determined. (R. Schmidt)

• Motor abilities are relatively enduring traits which are generally stable qualities or factors that help a person carry out a particular act. (E. Fleishman)

• Motor abilities are innate inherited traits that determine an individual’s coordination, balance, agility and speed of reactions. (R. Arnot and C. Gaines)

Characteristics of abilities

• Stable and enduring capacities or qualities

• Genetic/innate, inherited traits

• Crucial to underpinning skills – abilities combine to allow specific skills to be performed

Types of abilities

• Gross motor abilities – Physical proficiency abilities – Involve movement and are often linked to fitness

• Psychomotor abilities – Perceptual motor abilities – Involve information processing and implementing

the selected movement

Psychomotor abilities (examples) • Limb coordination

• Control precision

– Precise muscular adjustments where large muscle groups are involved

• Reaction time

• Speed of arm movement – Gross, rapid arm movements

• Rate control – Change speed and direction of response with precise timing (following a

continuously moving target)

Psychomotor abilities (examples)

• Manual dexterity– Make skilful arm/hand movements, when

manipulating objects under speed conditions

• Aiming– Aim precisely at a small object in space

Gross motor abilities (examples)• Strength

– Various types (explosive and dynamic)

• Flexibility – Various types (extent and dynamic)

• Coordination

• Balance– Without visual cues

• Stamina

Ability is task specific

• Certain skills may use different sets of abilities

• The fact that an individual does not have the abilities to succeed at one activity does not mean they will not succeed in another activity

• Performers learn to combine and use abilities in specific situations