chapter 1 Fundamental Concepts Characteristics of Motor Development

chapter 1 Fundamental Concepts

Characteristics of Motor Development • Involves change in movement behavior • Is sequential, age-related, continuous • Depends on underlying processes

Related Areas of Study • Motor learning: relatively permanent gains in motor skill capability associated with practice or experience • Motor control: the neural, physical, and behavioral aspects of movement (Schmidt & Lee, 1999)

Related Terms • Physical growth: quantitative increase in size or body mass (Timiras, 1972) • Physical maturation: qualitative advance in biological makeup; cell, organ, or system advancement in biochemical composition (Teeple, 1978) • Aging: process occurring with passage of time, leading to loss of adaptability or full function and eventually to death (Spirduso, 1995)

Defining Motor Development • Identify similarities and differences between motor development and the following phenomena. – Motor learning – Motor control – Physical growth and maturation • Provide real-world examples of each.

Constraints • Limit or discourage certain movements • Permit or encourage other movements • “Shape” movement

Newell’s Model of Constraints

Individual Constraints • Inside the body (internal) • Structural constraints: related to the body’s structure – Height – Muscle mass • Functional constraints: related to behavioral function – Attention – Motivation

Environmental Constraints • Outside the body: properties of the world around us • Global, not task specific • Physical – Gravity – Surfaces • Sociocultural – Gender roles – Cultural norms

Task Constraints • External to the body • Related specifically to tasks or skills – Goal of task – Rules guiding task performance – Equipment

Naming Individual, Environmental, and Task Constraints Click image to view video

Typical Research Study Designs • Longitudinal – An individual or group is observed over time. – Study can require lengthy observation. • Cross-sectional – Individuals or groups of different ages are observed. – Change is inferred, not actually observed. • Sequential or mixed longitudinal: minilongitudinal studies with overlapping ages

A Model of Sequential Research Design

Research Designs • Why would a researcher use a longitudinal design to study motor development? • Why would a researcher use a crosssectional design to study motor development?

A Paradox in Development • Universality: Individuals in a species show great similarity in development. • Variability: Individual differences exist.

Observing Motor Development What constraints change between these two clips? Click image to view video