Information Processing &Motor Skill Performance

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the mental attributes and behavioural elements necessary to maximize the learning and performance of motor skills.

Specifically, this chapter focuses on memory, attention and intention as the fundamental elements of learning that

must be a part of any successful training or practice

situation.

Explain information processing and multiple resource theory and their impact

on learning and performance.

The job of our central nervous system (CNS) is to process information. Information

arrives from sources external to the body and internal to the body, and some is already contained within our own

CNS. Everything we see, hear, taste, touch and smell provides

information.

Physiological Processes

Visceroreceptors

Somatoreceptors

CNSINFORMATION

CNS Stored Information

Memories

Plans

Processes

PROCESSEDIdentification

Interpretation

Filtering ACTED UPON

BRAIN ACTIONS

Reasoning

Monitoring Storing

Retrieving

Running the physiological

process of our body

Placing emotional and rational behaviours

Communicating and making decisions

MULTIPLE RESOURCE THEORY

Model of our brain’s information processing and then two information processing resources, Memory and Attention.

prominent factor in the application of motor learning principles.

MULTIPLE RESOURCE THEORY

• posits that we have a variety of processing resources. Nevertheless, the theory adequately describes that our brain has the capability to process different types

and amounts of information, though there is redundancy in the system.

• All of these resources have limited but flexible capacities. Sometimes the resource capacities can be

expanded and are often times shrunk.

factors such as arousal, fatigue, motivation, and health can alter the capacity.

The reason for processing degradation is because

information tend to be handled by our brain in a serial

processing manner (one after another) rather than in a parallel processing manner (side by side simultaneous

processing).

When simultaneous information needs to be processed, it gets jammed up in a bottleneck

(Welford,1952), waiting for one task after another to be processed.

When two tasks arrive simultaneously or closely spaced, one tasks needs to delay while the

other is being carried out. This delay to get the second task is called

the Psychological Refractory Period (PRP).

Information

Take note that:

Information processing is typically degraded if two or more tasks require the same or similar resource. However, capacities can

be taxed easily while doing multiple tasks.

SCHEMATIC OF MULTIPLE RESOURCE THEORY

Perception Cognition Responding

- Visual- Auditory

- Proprioceptio

n

- Spatial- Verbal

- Manual- Vocal

Modalities/Sensory input

Types of Processing Responses

The examples given in each dimension require different resources; for example, manual responses are processed different from vocal

responses. The illustration implies that processing dimensions interfere with one another to different amounts.

Stag

es o

f Pr

oces

sing

Tasks Processing

Outcome Performanc

e

Low resource demands

High resource demands

Poor Outcome of Performanc

e

Take note that:

more tasks, and tasks that use similar and interacting resources, will experience more degradation

as revealed by poor outcomes. Multiple task processing tends to get bottlenecked, causing only one task to be processed at a time. Note

that any time dual tasks are processed performance will

worsen (wavy lines).

Information processing is defined as the essential job of the CNS.

The brain, however, is limited in its ability to process a lot of

information or simultaneously process multiple types of

information. Though the brain has multiple processing resources, when faced with multiple demands, the

ability to process information diminishes. Therefore, it results to slow and inaccurate processing

and decision making.

Explain motor memory and how to use various techniques to improve motor

memory.

Memory is a cognitive processing function that people tend to

associate with facts and figures, and not motor skills.

The simple ability to recall and repeat large numbers of motor skills over and over again after long time periods indicates that we

have a large capacity to remember motor skills we have learned, that is

Motor Memory.

Certainly, it is implied that a motor skill learned is a motor skill remembered. But motor and non-motor memory also

play a critical role during the motor skill learning process

and during high level performance.

MEMORY

Working Memory

Long-term Memory

Temporary use and storage system for

information

Permanent repository of information

Strategies for Improving and Facilitating Motor

Memory

• Movement Characteristics• Remembering Strategies• Characteristics of Practice

MOVEMENT CHARACTERISTICSThese are certain features or

attributes of a movement that influence one’s ability to

remember that movement.

Continuous and rhythmic skills are more

resistant to forgetting than discrete skills,

probably because their repeated nature

provides for more practice and the

procedural requirements are often less

complex than discrete skills.

REMEMBERING STRATEGIES

Considered as vital to the long-term retention and learning of motor skills and should be

incorporated insofar as feasible into the practice environment.

MEMORY STRATEGIES

1. Repetitionmay result in memory storage of not

only the refined movement but also the mechanisms by with the movement was

refined and adapted.

2. Meaningfulness and Understanding

the learner understands how and why the skill needs to be done.3. Self-control

if learners have a say in their own learning, it is likely that practice is more meaningful. 4. Mastery and Intention to

Remembermovements are best remembered

when willful effort is given to try and remember.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PRACTICErefers to what is learned during practice

in comparison to what one is being tested on. In a broader context, this refers to the specificity of learning or practice

principles.memory and learning is specific to what was practiced, particularly

in regard to the type and amount of sensory information.

Memory is an important resource that factors into high-level

performance and is one cognitive processing resource with clearly

identifiable strategies for improvement. One of the memory strategies is to make movements

meaningful, which also plays a role in attention.

Explain attention, focus, and related concepts and how these concepts contribute to the learning and performance of motor skills.

Example:Mental math and daydreaming both place

attention on mental processes.

Attention is the mental process of concentrating on specific things, that is, an exclusive allocation of processing

resources. Attention can be placed on the external environment, on the internal

bodily environment or on mental processes themselves.

• Conscious• Subconscious

action

ATTENTION

Conscious (explicit act)

the individual is aware of where attention is being placed.

Subconscious (implicit act)

the individual cannot identify when or when attention is

being placed.

In reality, our sensory systems are never turned off, and the brain monitors sensory information and prioritizes this information

even if we are not consciously monitoring these inputs.

Placing attention on something purposeful and specific is called Selective Attention.

• Spatial• Temporal

SPATIAL ATTENTIONis placed on objects to

identify and gather information from their

spatial location.

TEMPORAL ATTENTIONis attention placed toward anticipation of upcoming

events or the monitoring of information occurring over

time.

Correa at al. stated that the ability to place attention on a proper

point in time or the proper point in space is an essential

anticipation skill that serves to reduce uncertainty and enable

faster and more accurate reactions.

FOCUS OF ATTENTIONRefers to the quality of our

concentration on a stimuli or on going situation. With a poor focus of attention, our minds may drift to irrelevant information, thereby

allocating information processing resources away from what is

necessary.

Stage Iincision

Stage IVwound

dressing

Stage IIbaby removal

Stage IIIwound closing

20

18

16

14

12

10

Novice

Experienced

Freq

uenc

y of

att

enti

onal

sw

itch

es

Broad versus Narrow and Internal versus External Attention

The direction of our attention has been broadly categorized on a two-dimensional scale of view (internal versus external) and

width (broad versus narrow). External

Internal

BroadNarrow

External Focus Awareness

Internal Focus Concepts and Strategies

• Movement goal / outcome• Environmental obstacle

• Court sense• Environmental Awareness

• Decision making• Systematic problem

solving• Mental imagery• Physiological processes

• Analysis and planning• “Big picture” goals and

analysis• Physiological body scanning

EXTERNAL VS INTERNAL PLACING OF ATTENTION

Gabriele Wulf and her colleagues (2010) have shown that motor skills across the spectrum are learned and performed better when

attention is placed EXTERNALLY. It is believed that focusing on a specific movement outcome simplifies the brain’s movement planning and essentially enables the brain to organize the most

effective solution to the movement problem.

(Beilock et al., 2002), stated that there may be exceptions, such as interaction between learner expertise and the type of motor skill.

In particular, it may be beneficial for new learners to periodically focus INTERNALLY on movement dynamics to establish a

fundamental movement pattern or “movement approximation”. (Peh et al., 2011)

Attention control is arguably most important way to regulate resource use and may be the best first strategy to use to improve the information processing

aspects of motor skill performance. Knowing where to place attention, the

quality of attention, and the ability to switch attention dictates the amount and type of information being received by the

CNS. Though individuals may have innate traits that give rise to a particular attention style, individual must adopt attention

styles to meet situational needs.

Explain the techniques to improve attention skills and how to use these and other techniques to improve

information processing accuracy and speed, overcome mental barriers like anxiety, and overall improve motor

skill performance.

Explicit and Implicit Learning of Attention Skills

Attention skills are generally not explicitly taught but are learned both explicitly and implicitly.

Keep your eyes on the ball Anticipate how fast the serve

ATTENTION SKILLS

EXPLICIT IMPLICIT

Attention switching and selective attention are often learned through a trial and error approach. Over time and trials, learners figure out which cues are important and should be attended to, and which cues are irrelevant and should be ignored, particularly depending

on the situation.

Using Attention as an Instructional Technique

Initiation demand Attentionby placing attention on the

initiation of movement, the whole movement may be better

influenced.

Prioritizing Movement Components

movements can be broken down and separated into parts. Some

parts may require more attention because of their complexity or

importance to the overall movement.

Focusing on External Cuesfocusing on external cues rather

than internal cues appears to facilitate performance and learning

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Information Processing, Stress, Arousal and Anxiety

Information processing is highly susceptible to both internal and external influences. Among the most

common disruptors of effective information processing is poorly managed stress and competitive anxiety.

STRESStoo much stress may lead to

distracting negative or irrelevant thoughts, and may

further contribute to anxiety and nervousness.

AROUSALin practice, arousal is evaluated by physiological

measurements such as heart rate, blood pressure and sweating. The arousal level, before and during motor

performance, affects movement quality and movement preparation time.

ANXIETYthe emotional or cognitive

sense of worry.

o

o

o

Stress, anxiety, and arousal should not be confused. Under high states of stress, the body and mind may become high aroused,

such as during a fight or flight response. Stress may be accompanied by arousal of

systems that can impede motor skill performance. Overcoming these negative influences begins with changing attention to positive and meaningful factors, such as

the task goal.

Explain the widespread influence played by mental intention in information processing, learning, motor skill performance, and physiological adaptations to

practice and training.

ATTENTION AND INTENTION

Underlying attention control is intention. Without the proper intention, our selective and focused attention are uncertain,

and our ability to maximize mental and physical effort is limited. Intention serves to filter the incoming information

and provides purpose to outgoing commands.

Intention not only modifies attention and effort but in doing so directly influences the nature of physiological performance and

physiological adaptations arising from training and practice.

HUNAT p.e.!!