This section looks at motor programmes and their subroutines, the 3 levels of Adams loop control theory as well as an in-depth look at Schmidt’s Schema Theory.
Motor Programmes
Motor Programme: A series of subroutines organized into the correct sequence to perform a movement. Stored in the long term memory, retrieved when we need to perform the skill.
For example, The motor programme for a cricket shot stores the subroutines in the correct order (stance, grip, feet placement, backswing and follow-through).
Motor programmes are the way in which our brains control our movements. There are two theories concerning this topic:
- Test yourself with the Information processing A level quiz
Open Loop Theory (Level 1 control)
This theory states the following:
- Decisions are made in the brain before performing the skill
- All information for one movement is sent in a single message
- The message is received by the muscles which perform the movement
- Feedback may or may not be available but it doesn’t control the action
This theory accounts well for fast continuous ballistic movements (e.g. a golf swing), as there is little time to react or change your movement. It does not work so well for slower movements which may involve reactions and repositioning (such as a gymnast on the balance beam).
Closed-Loop Theory
On the other hand, this theory explains slow movements well but not fast movements.
- Decisions are made in the brain
- Not all of the information is sent together
- Information is received by the muscles to initiate the movement
- Feedback is always available and is vital to correct movement patterns and adjust to changing needs
Once the motor programme to be performed has been selected, the movement has to be regulated and adapted. The open and closed-loop theory suggest we control the movement on 3 different levels, depending on the extent to which the central nervous system is involved.
Level 2 will be small adjustments whilst undertaking the skill so feedback will be via the muscles. Level 3 control will require a cognitive process and so feedback is therefore via the brain. Level 3 will take slightly more time than Level 2.
Schema Theory
Schema: All of the information needed to make a movement decision. It is stored in the brain as long-term memory.
- Test yourself with the Schema theory A level quiz
The schema theory challenges the open and closed-loop theories and was developed by Schmidt in 1977. He suggested that motor programmes can be clustered and are changeable to respond to the situation.
He also stated that the larger the motor programme that is achieved through practice, the easier it can be adapted to new situations. For example, during a tennis match, the performer cannot possibly have experienced every type of shot that they have to face, but they adapt the required stroke to suit the specific situation based on previous experience.
Recall Schema
This occurs before a movement is initiated and includes the following information which the performer must know to form a schema:
Initial Conditions:
- Where is the: Goal; Opposition; Teammates
- What is the environment like?: Grass; Astroturf; Wet or dry; Wind
- What condition am I in?: Fresh; Tired; Injured
Response Specification
- How fast do I need to go?
- Where do I pass the ball to?
- How hard do I need to kick the ball?
- Which techniques will produce the best results?
Recognition Schema
This occurs either during or after the performance of a skill. In order to correct or alter a response, the athlete needs to know:
Movement/Response Outcomes:
From knowledge of results (KR): Success/Failure
The end result and a comparison being made with the intended outcome. This updates the memory store for future reference when confronted with a similar situation in the future.
Sensory Consequence:
From knowledge of performance (KP): How did it look (extrinsic feedback) /how did it feel (intrinsic feedback)
The feelings experienced during & after the movement, The sound, the kinaesthetic feeling and any other information received via the sensory system. This then allows suitable adjustments to be made.
Related quizzes
A generalized motor program (GMP) is an abstract, mental code, the execution of which results in a movement. The GMP controls a class of movements. A GMP is characterized by constant characteristics that span movements and movement-specific variable characteristics. The theory can be assigned to the information theory approach .
The term comes from the schematic theory developed by Richard A. Schmidt in the seventies about the storage of abstract movement designs . It assumes that not every single movement sequence is saved as a pattern, but only a single pattern for a whole class of movement sequences of the same character. This has the advantage that less information has to be saved. If necessary, this pattern is called up and adapted depending on the situation.
The validity of this model is disputed.
example
To illustrate this, imagine a basketball player practicing basketball throws from different distances during training: An abstract pattern from a jump shot is stored in his central nervous system. He can call up this pattern and then adjust it to his position on the field and thus the distance to the basket. So he does not have to save a specific throwing movement for every conceivable position.
features
Cross-movement constant features
- The order of the muscle impulses. These can, but do not have to be, muscle-specific.
- The relative switch-on time and the switch-on duration of the muscles involved in relation to one another (phasing)
- The relative force applied by the muscles involved to each other (relative force)
Movement-specific variable characteristics
- Total force that is used
- Muskelauswahl (muscle selection)
- Total duration of a movement
When moving in the field of sports, both parameters are almost always changed at the same time. If the basketball player is further away from the basket, he has to increase the absolute force and shorten the total movement time in order to transmit a correspondingly higher impulse to the ball.
Schmidt sees another parameter in the choice of the muscle group to be used. However, this parameter allows only a few adjustment options. The basketball player can perform the throwing movement with his left or right arm, but not with one of his legs.
One can record the constant characteristics of a movement with the help of an EMG , e.g. For example, a person can perform a certain movement sequence (e.g. jump shot) several times and let him change the parameters in a targeted manner. In this way, a characteristic profile can be determined for each movement. If one compares this pulse-time fingerprint with others, it can be determined whether two movement sequences are to be assigned to the same class or not.
Sports training principles
If you let Schmidt's model flow into athletic training, three principles should be observed:
- Reduce movement sequences to individual GMPs, but do not fragment GMPs.
- Movement parameters vary, but remain within the limits of GMP.
- Switch movement classes.
The following consequences arise for the training of the aforementioned basketball player:
- Train jump throws in isolation, without additional actions such as dribbling, passing or an opposing player.
- Practice jumping throws from different distances to improve the scalability of the GMP.
- In addition to jumping throws, you can also practice hook throws and lay-ups in order to train the selection of the best movement class according to the situation.
criticism
The validity of this concept is disputed. Based on the theory, z. For example, it can be expected that a change in the temporal structure is more difficult to implement than a change in the duration of a movement in which only the movement phases are stretched or compressed. The change in the time structure would make it necessary to learn a new program. However, these expectations could not be confirmed. In the meantime, explanatory models that arise from other explanatory approaches are preferred in exercise science .
sources
- Bock (2006): Movement control and motor learning
- De Marées, (2003): Sportphysiology
- U. Rockmann. (2001): Generalized Motor Programs ( Generalized Motor Programs ( Memento from July 16, 2006 in the Internet Archive ))
- Schmidt, R.A. & Lee, Th. (1999): Motor control and learning.
- Norbert Olivier, Ulrike Rockmann (2003): Fundamentals of movement science and theory.
- H. Heuer, J. Konczak (2003): Movement control - movement coordination. In. H. Mechling, J. Munzert (Hrsg.): Handbook movement science - movement theory