Life span motor development Haywood and Getchell

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Life span motor development Haywood and Getchell Chapter 1 Fundamental Concepts

Characteristics of Motor development:

Change in movement behaviour Sequential Age –related Continuous Underlying process(es)

Motor learning: Relatively permanent gains in motor skill capability associated

with practice or experience

Motor control: The neural, physical and behavioural aspects of movements

Physical growth: Quantitative increase in size or body mass.

Physiological maturation: Qualitative advance in biological makeup and may refer to cell, organ or system advancement in biochemical composition rather than to size alone.

Aging: The process occurring with the passage of time, that leads to loss of

adaptability or full function and eventually to death.Constraints: A constraint is a characteristic of the individual, environment or task that encourages some movements while discouraging others.

There are three types of constraints:

1.Individual constraints; are a person’s or organism’s unique physical and mental characteristics.Exists within the body Structural constraints; Are individual constraints related to the body’s structure.Related to the body’s structure  weight, height. Muscle mass.Functional constraints; are individual constraints related to behavioural function.Attention and motivation 2.Environmental constraints ; are constraints related to the world around us.Exists outside the body Global, not task specific

Physical: gravity/ surfaces

Socio-cultural: Gender roles

3.Task constraints; Include the goals of a particular movement or activity, the rule structure surrounding that movement or activity, and choices of equipment.External to the body Related specifically to tasks or skills Goal of task Rules guiding task performance Equipment.Newell’s model of constraints

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