Chapter 8

Motor Learning

Motor Learning Defined

• Learning results from practice or experience.• Learning is not directly observable.• Learning changes are inferred from certain

performance changes.• Learning involves a set of processes in the

central nervous system.• Learning produces an acquired capability for

skilled performance.• Learning changes are relatively permanent,

not transitory.

Practice can have numerous effects on the learner

• Relatively permanent effects that persist across many days, even years

• Temporary effects that vanish with time or a change in conditions (positive or negative)

• Simultaneous temporary and relatively permanent effects

Separating Temporary and Relatively Permanent Effects of Practice

• Whenever learners practice, and especially when instructors intervene to enhance learning, it is important to have a way to separate the relatively permanent practice effects from the temporary effects.

Transfer Designs• A transfer design can analyze whether a change

that improves performance in practice also improves learning.

• Essential features of transfer designs:– Allow sufficient time for the supposed temporary

effects of practice to dissipate.– The time needed will vary depending on the nature of

the temporary effects.– Evaluate learners again in a transfer or retention test,

with all groups performing under identical conditions.– Any differences observed in this transfer test are due

to a difference in the relatively permanent capability for performance acquired during earlier practice.

Transfer of Learning

• Transfer, closely related to learning, is seen when practice on one task contributes to performance capability in some other task.

• Important in many instructional situations:– Complex skills may be broken down into simpler

elements for beginning learners.– For safety or other reasons, the conditions under

which practice is conducted are obviously quite different than the conditions in a real situation.

How Do You Measure Transfer in Your Sport?

• Transfer concerns how performance on the transfer task is influenced by practice on some other task.–Mini Golf and then compare to 9 Holes

Positive and Negative Transfer

• Positive transfer occurs when a treatment (e.g., practice on another skill) facilitates performance over and above no practice.

• What is an example of positive transfer in sport(s)?

• Negative transfer occurs when a treatment (e.g., practice on another skill) degrades performance in comparison to those that received no additional practice.

• What is an example of negative transfer in a sport(s)?

Specific and Generalized Transfer

• Specific transfer is a useful measure in cases in which the criterion for learning is performance on a specific task–Measured by delayed retention tests on that

task

• For generalized transfer, transfer to relatively different activities is the goal–Measured by some transfer test performed

in the future that may involve a different task

Near and Far Transfer

• Near transfer is transfer of learning from one task or setting to another that is very similar.

• Far transfer is transfer of learning from one task to another very different task or setting.

• Both are types of generalized transfer.