4.9. Motor Programmes & Schema

Question 1

What is a motor programme

Answer 1

A stored set of instructions organised into the correct sequence to perform a skill

Question 2

Benefits of motor programmes

Answer 2

• allows movement without needing conscious control
• controls order, timing and coordination of muscle actions to perform skill
• is stored in LTM and can be retrieved when needed
• allows performers to act quickly, perform automatically and focus on other aspects

Question 3

What are the 2 motor programme theories and who were they developed by

Answer 3

Open loop theory
Closed loop theory

Developed by Schmidt

Question 4

What is open loop theory

Answer 4

• all decisions are made in the brain before performing the skill
• al info for 1 skill is sent in a single message
• message received by muscles which perform movement
• feedback may or may not be available but doesn’t control the action

Question 5

Skill suited to open loop theory

Answer 5

Fast, continuous, ballistic movement as there is little time to react/change the movement

Eg a golf swing

Question 6

What is closed loop theory

Answer 6

• decisions are made in the brain
• not all info is sent together
• info is received by muscles to initiate movement
• feedback is always available & vital to correct movement patterns and adjust to change needs

Question 7

Skill suited to closed loop theory

Answer 7

Slower movement which may involve reactions and repositioning

Eg gymnast on beam

Question 8

Why are MPs useful

Answer 8

Means that not every part of an action needs to pass through STM

Once an MP is learned & stored in LTM through practise, it can be executed quickly with minimal conscious thought

Allows athletes to focus their attention on other aspects of performance such as strategy

Question 9

Roles of MPs

Answer 9

Automation of movements - enables athletes to perform efficiently & automatically, reducing cognitive load

Consistency & accuracy - once MP is well learned it allows movement to be performed well each time

Adaptability - provide general framework that can be adapted in response to environmental conditions

Reduced reaction time - skilled athletes rely on well developed MP to react faster to stimuli

Muscle memory & skill retention - repeated practise strengthens MP allowing skills to be retained over time

Question 10

What are schema

Answer 10

Mental frameworks or sets of rules stored in memory that helps a performer to organise and control movement patterns

It is a generalised motor programme that can be adapted to suit different situations

Question 11

Characteristics of schemas

Answer 11

Stored in LTM
Built from past experiences of performing skills

Question 12

Roles of schemas

Answer 12

Helps predict outcomes
Adapt to environments
Improve consistency

Question 13

What does the schema theory suggest

Answer 13

• MPs can be clustered and are changeable to respond to a situation
• the larger the MP is the more adaptation it allows to occur
• rather than storing separate MPs for every variation of movement, the brain stores generalised MPs that can be adapted based on experience

Question 14

What are the 2 types of schema

Answer 14

Recall schema
Recognition schema

Question 15

Recall schema

Answer 15

• responsible for producing and controlling movement
• used before movement
  
  • initial conditions (environmental stimuli)
  • response specifications (decision making)

Question 16

Recognition schema

Answer 16

• responsible for evaluating movement
• after movement
  
  • sensory consequences (kinaesthesia) (knowledge of performance)
  • response outcomes (success or failure) (knowledge of results)

Question 17

How can we develop schema

Answer 17

Place an athlete in different situations to form schema from success or failure in these situations

Use varied practise