Motor Control Commons^™

The Effectiveness Of Eye-Hand Coordination Training In Virtual Reality, Kelley Burger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Virtual environments (VE) and virtual reality (VR) through head-mounted displays (HMD) have been used to test and train eye-hand coordination skills in a way that is more immersive than traditional 2D video training. As this technology continues to evolve, researchers have sought to determine the degree to which these new technologies can augment training. This research attempts to expand the literature on sport skill training in VE and VR to elucidate the training protocols that support learning. The first study was designed to determine how a single session of occlusion training would affect football catching skills in VR. While adding …

The Effects Of Attentional Focus Instructions On Approach Jump Performance, Hanwen Liu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Introduction: Attentional focus is a crucial factor that impacts motor learning and performance. Instructions that direct performers’ attention externally (i.e., toward the effects of movements) have been shown to enhance performance compared to those that direct attention internally (i.e., toward the body’s movements). Research has also demonstrated that novices perform better when they are instructed to focus externally on the process of skill execution versus the outcome. However, this effect has not been tested in complex jumping skills that are important in many sports.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to test the effects of internally and externally directed …

Dataset For Effects Of Single-Session Practice Structure On Motor Skill Acquisition And Alpha And Beta Eeg Oscillations, Audrey Porter, Ronald V. Croce, Wayne Smith

Faculty Publications

Although it is known that practicing a motor skill updates the associated internal model, it is still unclear as to how cortical oscillations linked with the motor skill change under differing practice schedules. The current study investigated α- and β-power changes associated with motor skill acquisition. Firstly, we investigated the behavioral effects of practice on motor learning and retention during repetitive (RP) and variable (VP) practice schedules on an anticipation timing task. Secondly, we investigated changes in cortical α (10-13 HZ) and β (15-30 Hz) event-related synchronization and dyssynchronization (ERS/ERD) under RP and VP during early (EP) and late …

Direction Of Attentional Focus In Prosthetic Training: Current Practice And Potential For Improving Motor Learning In Individuals With Lower Limb Loss, Alexander Bonczyk, Maria Katrina Tillada Dimapilis, Sarah Partridge, Samantha Ruiz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: Adopting an external focus of attention has been shown to benefit motor performance and learning. However, the potential of optimizing attentional focus for improving prosthetic motor skills in lower limb prosthesis (LLP) users has not been examined. In this study, we investigated the frequency and direction of attentional focus embedded in the verbal instructions in a clinical prosthetic training setting.

Methods: Twenty-one adult LLP users (8 female, 13 male; 85% at K3 level; mean age=50.5) were recruited from prosthetic clinics in the Southern Nevada region. Verbal interactions between LLP users and their prosthetists (mean experience=10 years, range=4-21 years) during …

Object Control Skills Training For Children With Intellectual Disability: An Implementation Case Study, Catherine M. Capio, Kathlynne F. Eguia

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Children with intellectual disability (ID) tend to have difficulty with mastering fundamental movement skills, associated with cognitive deficits that impair skill acquisition. In this case study, motor learning evidence was transformed into an object control skills training program for children with ID in a school context. An implementation framework was used for program design, pilot, and evaluation. Research evidence on error-reduced motor learning was combined with practitioners’ insights to inform the program design. Children with ID in the participant school were allocated to a training or control group for the pilot; object control skills proficiency was the measured outcome. The …

Additive Effects Of An External Focus And Enhanced Expectancy In Learning A Motor Skill, Luigi Antonio Pascua

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An external focus of attention in has been shown to produce better performance in practice and retention of a motor skill when compared to an internal focus or control conditions in which no attentional focus cues are given to the learner (for a review, see Wulf, 2012). Enhancing learner expectancy (e.g., via positive feedback) has also been shown to improve learning (e.g., Lewthwaite & Wulf, 2010). This study sought to investigate whether combining the positive effects of an external focus of attention with an enhanced learner expectancy (through positive social-comparative feedback) would enhance learning relative to either variable alone or …

Effects Of Controlling Versus Autonomy-Supportive Language On Learning A Novel Motor Skill And Cortisol Release, Andrew Mcmahon Hooyman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to compare how different types of instruction effect the learning of a novel motor skill and how salivary cortisol correlates to learning differences. Participants (N = 44), average age 22.3 years (standard deviation 2.37), were randomly assigned to an autonomy-supportive, controlling-language or neutral language group which was manipulated via instructional video. Saliva was collected before and after each session, and questionnaires were given after pitching was completed during each day. Results showed that there was a significant difference among groups in throwing accuracy on performance and retention. Questionnaire results also showed significant group differences …

Head Motion In Overarm Throwing For Children With Varying Levels Of Motor Proficiency, Kevin J. Netto

Theses : Honours

The overarm throw has been classified as a fundamental motor skill that is the basis for a number of more complex sporting skills. There are a number of developmental stages over which a child progresses to the mature form of the skill. Control of the overarm throw, especially towards a target is very dependent on visual and vestibular information for successful execution. The quality of the information is, in tum, dependant on the head movement of the performer during the execution of the skill. It has been reported that head angular velocities above 350 degrees/second result in a degradation of …