Psychomotor learning is the relationship between
cognitive functions and
physical movement. Psychomotor learning is demonstrated by physical skills such as movement, coordination, manipulation, dexterity, grace, strength, speed—actions which demonstrate the fine or gross motor skills, such as use of precision instruments or tools, and walking.
Sports
Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...
and
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
are the richest realms of gross psychomotor skills.
Behavioral examples include driving a car, throwing a ball, and playing a
musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make Music, musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person ...
. In psychomotor learning
research
Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...
, attention is given to the learning of
coordinated activity involving the arms, hands, fingers, and feet, while verbal processes are not emphasized.
Stages of psychomotor development
According to
Paul Fitts and
Michael Posner's three-stage model, when learning psychomotor skills, individuals progress through the
cognitive stages, the
associative
In mathematics, the associative property is a property of some binary operations that rearranging the parentheses in an expression will not change the result. In propositional logic, associativity is a valid rule of replacement for express ...
stage, and the
autonomic stage. The cognitive stage is marked by awkward slow and choppy movements that the learner tries to control. The learner has to think about each movement before attempting it. In the associative stage, the learner spends less time thinking about every detail, however, the movements are still not a permanent part of the
brain
The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...
. In the autonomic stage, the learner can refine the skill through practice, but no longer needs to think about the movement.
Factors affecting psychomotor skills
*Psychological feedback
*Amount of practice
*Task complexity
*Work distribution
*Motive-incentive conditions
*Environmental factors
How motor behaviors are recorded
The motor cortices are involved in the formation and retention of memories and skills. When an individual learns physical movements, this leads to changes in the
motor cortex
The motor cortex is the region of the cerebral cortex involved in the planning, motor control, control, and execution of voluntary movements.
The motor cortex is an area of the frontal lobe located in the posterior precentral gyrus immediately ...
. The more practiced a movement is, the stronger the neural encoding becomes. A study cited how the cortical areas include neurons that process movements and that these neurons change their behavior during and after being exposed to tasks.
Psychomotor learning is not limited to the motor cortex, however.
See also
*
Movement in learning
*
Psychomotor agitation
*
Psychomotor retardation
References
External links
Psychomotor learningat the
Encyclopædia Britannica
The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...
{{Humandevelopment
Motor control
Somatics