Motor Behavior

1. A Career and 2. The Field of Study

1. A Career...

• How many of you have already experienced failure? Recovered from it?

• How many of you...– know what you want to do as a career, and why?– know what you want to do as a career, not sure why?– don’t know what you want to do, but know what you

want it to “be like”?– don’t know anything at this point, but you’re keen to

figure it out!

1. A Career...

• My high school...high achievers all over the place.– I wanted to do something enjoyable/motivating. Just didn’t know what– Doctor. Lawyer. Banker. Optician. Math teacher. PE teacher.

1. A Career...

• Decision 1 - Delay!• Just pick the degree that sounds the most fun

and see where it takes you.– PE/Math double major – Bangor University, North

Wales. (1982-1985)

1. A Career...

• Problem: still don’t know• Decision 2. Just keep going.– Master of Philosophy – Bangor University, North

Wales. (1986-1988)• Problem remains• Keep going...– Doctor of Education, University of Houston (1989-

1992).• Guess I’ll work at a University...

1. A Career...

• Current reflection– I just kept doing what I thought would make me

happy.– I’m pretty happy.• Maybe I’d have been happy anyway?• Then it doesn’t matter.• But I’m not saddened by my career

2. Motor Behavior as a Field

• Motor Behavior:– Development– Control– Learning

• Some snippets...

2. Motor Behavior as a Field

• Motor Development– How do behaviors come to be

shaped the way they are?– Child stepping, kicking, and the

development of walking – Esther Thelen, Beverly and Dale

Ulrich– http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/

2009/0102-baby_treadmill.htm

2. Motor Behavior as a Field • Motor Control

– How do behaviors come to be shaped the way they are?

– From finger wiggling to reaching and grasping to horse/rider coordination

– Scott Kelso, Michael Turvey, James and Eleanor Gibson, David Lee• http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTVtmUJeInY

– Synergetics• http://

www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/shc17/Passive_Robot/PassiveRobot_walkingVideo.htm

• http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/shc17/Robot/Robot_compilationVideo.htm

The HKB model

The swinging room

2. Motor Behavior as a Field

• Motor Learning– How to optimize learning?– Expert/novice differences? – Gabrielle Wulf, Mark Williams,

Tim Lee, Richard Schmidt...

Visual Occlusion

Hours of practice