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Kinesiology Commons

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LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Motor learning

Publication Year

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Full-Text Articles in Kinesiology

Motor Learning Effects Of Two Types Of Stressors: Implications For Practice Specificity, Christopher Adam Aiken Jan 2015

Motor Learning Effects Of Two Types Of Stressors: Implications For Practice Specificity, Christopher Adam Aiken

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Various types of stress have been found to have both positive and negative effects on motor performance (Szalma & Hancock, 2011; Van Gemmert & Van Galen, 1997). One potential explanation for these diverse findings is that stress increases the amount of neuromotor noise in the system (Van Gemmert, 1997). Low levels of stress may have an activating effect on the system which may improve motor performance whereas larger levels of stress decrease motor performance. Research has also suggested that increases in stress increase effort (Hockey, 1997) which may in turn facilitate motor learning (Lee, Swinnen, & Serrien, 1994). The primary …


A Divided-Attention Timed Stepping Accuracy Task As A Procedural Learning Intervention Improves Balance And Functional Performance In Healthy Older Adults, Susan Joy Leach Jan 2009

A Divided-Attention Timed Stepping Accuracy Task As A Procedural Learning Intervention Improves Balance And Functional Performance In Healthy Older Adults, Susan Joy Leach

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For both healthy individuals and individuals at high risk of falling, certain environments, such as a dual-task situation, require more resources than others to prevent a loss of balance. Stepping assessment tasks can be used to predict falls, and it has been suggested that impaired voluntary stepping may be a contributing factor to falls (Lord & Fitzpatrick, 2001). In this research, a stepping task was used not as an assessment, but as a therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this research was to determine how training with a task that provides a procedural learning environment can affect balance and functional outcomes. …


Does Practice Of Multi-Directional Stepping With Auditory Stimulation Improve Movement Performance In Patients With Parkinson's Disease, Zahra Kadivar Jan 2009

Does Practice Of Multi-Directional Stepping With Auditory Stimulation Improve Movement Performance In Patients With Parkinson's Disease, Zahra Kadivar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder causing many physical limitations. Rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) influences motor complications not alleviated by medicine and has been used to modify straight line walking in this population. However, motor complications are exacerbated during more complex movements including those involving direction changes. Thus immediate RAS effects on direction switch duration (DSD) and other kinematic measures during a multi-directional step task were investigated in PD patients. Long term RAS application was also explored by evaluating functional gait and balance and kinematic step measures before and after 6 weeks of multi-directional stepping either with (Cue, …


Self-Control Of Learning Multiple Motor Skills, Wilbur Fong Wah Wu Jan 2007

Self-Control Of Learning Multiple Motor Skills, Wilbur Fong Wah Wu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Learning is commonly referred to as a “two-way street” between the learner and instructor. Until recently, learning has been studied using a “one-way” approach in which numerous studies have explored learning in situations where the experimenter or instructor shapes the practice environment. A number motor learning studies have shown the effectiveness of the learners’ abilities to control various aspects within their learning environment. Studies on augmented feedback (Chiviacowsky & Wulf, 2002; Janelle, Kim, & Singer, 1995), observational learning (Wulf, Raupach, & Pfeiffer, 2005), and physical assistance devices (Wulf & Toole, 1999) have found that learning is enhanced when individuals are …


The Effect Of Environmental Context On Performance Outcomes And Movement Coordination Changes During The Learning Of Complex Motor Skills, Jennifer Johnson Jeansonne Jan 2003

The Effect Of Environmental Context On Performance Outcomes And Movement Coordination Changes During The Learning Of Complex Motor Skills, Jennifer Johnson Jeansonne

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Four experiments presented here investigated the task demand relationship of intertrial variability (IV) and regulatory conditions (RC), on the outcome and movement changes that occurred with dart throwing practice. The four tasks included: (1) a stationary target with one location (closed w/no IV), (2) a stationary target with five possible locations (closed w/IV), (3) a moving target with one movement pattern (open w/no IV), (4) a moving target with five possible movement patterns (open w/IV). After each throw, the X, Y coordinates of the dart and the target were recorded to calculate radial error (RE). Kinematics was recorded using an …