Chapter 3: Motor Abilities

Question 1

Motor Ability

Answer 1

An ability that is specifically related to the performance of a motor skill. Each person has a variety of motor abilities.

Question 2

Abilities as Individual Difference Variables

Answer 2

Motor abilities establish achievement potentials for specific motor skills. Each motor skill requires specific motor abilities to successfully person it
Factors like:
- Amount of practice
- Level and amount of instruction
- Motivation to perform the skill
Will influence the level of performance success that each person can/will achieve.

Question 3

What is the general motor abilities hypothesis?

Answer 3

The generator motor abilities hypothesis states that many motor abilities are highly related and can be grouped as a singular, global motor ability.

Question 4

What is the specificity motor abilities hypothesis?

Answer 4

The specificity motor abilities hypotheses states that many motor abilities are relatively independent in an individual.

Question 5

Are the general motor abilities hypothesis and specificity motor abilities hypothesis similar?

Answer 5

No, they are distinct and have different hypotheses about motor abilities.

Question 6

What is balance?

Answer 6

Balance refers to postural stability.

Question 7

What are the two types of balance?

Answer 7

Static and dynamic balance.

Question 8

What is static balance?

Answer 8

Stationary balance.

Question 9

What is dynamic balance?

Answer 9

Balance in motion.

Question 10

What were the conclusions from the study –> Experiment by Drowatzky and Zuccato Showing the Correlations among Six Different Tests of Static and Dynamic Balance?

Answer 10

Static and dynamic balance are two independent balance abilities. As a motor ability, balance must be viewed as a multidimensional ability.

Question 11

What is external timing?

Answer 11

External timing is movement timing based on an external source (hitting a baseball).

Question 12

What is internal timing?

Answer 12

Internal timing is movement timing based on a person’s internal representation of time (gymnastics routine).

Question 13

Identifying Motor Abilities

Answer 13

Edwin Fleishman developed a taxonomy of motor abilities
The goal of the taxonomy was to define the fewest independent ability categories which might be most useful and meaningful in describing performance in the widest variety of tasks
The taxonomy included two broad categories of abilities related to motor performance: perceptual motor abilities and physical proficiency abilities
Fleishman identified 11 perceptual motor ability categories and 9 physical proficiency categories

Question 14

What are the uses for tests of motor abilities? (3)

Answer 14

• Evaluation
• Talent Identification
• Rehabilitation

Question 15

Evaluation of Motor Abilities

Answer 15

• Causes of motor skill performance deficiencies
• Assessment of the effectiveness of an intervention program (physical rehabilitation)

Question 16

Talent Identification

Answer 16

Motor coordination score predicted the elite performers’ results but not the subelite.
Coaches evaluations did not predict elite or nonelite gymnasts.