Ch. 9-12: Motor Control and Learning
Exam correctly answered to pass
Attention - correct answer ✔✔our limited capacity to engage in multiple cognitive and motor activities
simultaneously and our need to selectively focus on specific performance related environmental context
features when we perform motor skills
Filter theory of attention (Bottleneck theory) - correct answer ✔✔person has difficulties multi-tasking
because human information-processing system performs in serial order and some of the functions can
process only one piece of information at a time.
Central-Resource Theories of Attention - correct answer ✔✔compare human attention capacity to a
single source from which all activities must be funded.
Daniel Kahneman (1973) proposed theory that attention is a cognitive effort that he related to the
mental resources needed to carry out specific activities. - correct answer ✔✔"Central pool" of resources
that has a flexible capacity -> varies on conditions, tasks, situation, etc.
Available attention = general pool of effort that can be subdivided to allocate attention to different
things.
Arousal - correct answer ✔✔general state of excitability of a person, reflected in the activation levels of
the person's emotional, mental, and physiological system. Max attention resources happens when
person is at optimal arousal level
Three general rules influence how people allocate attentional resources. - correct answer ✔✔1. We
allocate attention to ensure that we can complete on activity.
2. We allocate attentional resources according to our enduring dispositions -> involuntary attention
(distractions). Typically by at least two types of characteristics of events in our environment.
3. Person's momentary intentions. (self-directed vs. momentary intention from instruction)
Two types of environmental distractions - correct answer ✔✔Visual or auditory distraction (depends on
situation [basketball noise vs golf])
,Meaningfulness of event to us. (Cocktail party phenomenon- meaningfulness of your name)
According to Wickens, what are the 3 sources that we use to process information? - correct answer
✔✔1. Input and output modalities (vision, limbs, speech)
2. Stages of information processing (perception, memory coding, response output)
3. Codes of processing information (verbal codes, spatial codes)
What occurs when two tasks have to be performed at the same time from a common resource? - correct
answer ✔✔It'll be performed worse than if the resources were different.
Dual-task procedure - correct answer ✔✔common experimental procedure used to investigate attention
limit issues. Determines attention demands and characteristics of simultaneous performance of two
different tasks. Measured by degree of interference with secondary task. If instructions require person to
focus on performing the primary task well, researchers check secondary task performance. If no
instructions are given, performance on both tasks are compared.
Attentional focus - correct answer ✔✔the directing of attention to specific characteristics in a
performance environment, or to action-preparation activities
Attentional focus width - correct answer ✔✔Broad: allows a person to perceive several occurrences
simultaneously
ex: basketball PG and soccer player dribbling ball up field
Narrow: respond to only one or two cues
ex: baseball batter prepares to swing at a pitch, golfer lines up to putt
Attentional focus direction - correct answer ✔✔External: directs attention outward to an object
ex: ball in baseball, puck in hockey, opponent's movements
Internal: directed inward to thoughts and feelings
ex: high jumper prepares to start run-up, bowler readies approach
Attentional switching - correct answer ✔✔shifts the type of attention focus and the object of that
attention
, Is it better to focus on your own movements (internal focus) or the effects of your own movements
(external)? - correct answer ✔✔William James (1980): external.
The constrained action hypothesis states - correct answer ✔✔an internal focus "constrains" the motor
symptom because of conscious control versus automatic control processes.
Skill-focused attention - correct answer ✔✔directed to any aspect of movement. Better for beginners
and learning.
Environmental-focused attention - correct answer ✔✔irected away from the execution of the skill (and
not necessarily on anything relevant to the skill itself). Better in later stages of learning because little
conscious attention monitoring.
Deautomatization-of-skills hypothesis - correct answer ✔✔"choking under pressure"
Automaticity - correct answer ✔✔indicates that a person performs a skill or engages in an information-
processing activity with little or no demands on attention capacity.
Automaticity depends on - correct answer ✔✔practice, experience, and can work on a spectrum of the
degree of attention
Selective attention - correct answer ✔✔efer to the detection and selection of performance-related
information in the performance environment
Visual selective attention - correct answer ✔✔concerns the role of vision in motor skill performance in
the directing visual attention to environmental information that influences action
T/F You can make an eye movement without shifting attention. - correct answer ✔✔False.
T/F It is possible to give attention to a feature in the environment without moving the eyes to focus on
that feature - correct answer ✔✔True
Exam correctly answered to pass
Attention - correct answer ✔✔our limited capacity to engage in multiple cognitive and motor activities
simultaneously and our need to selectively focus on specific performance related environmental context
features when we perform motor skills
Filter theory of attention (Bottleneck theory) - correct answer ✔✔person has difficulties multi-tasking
because human information-processing system performs in serial order and some of the functions can
process only one piece of information at a time.
Central-Resource Theories of Attention - correct answer ✔✔compare human attention capacity to a
single source from which all activities must be funded.
Daniel Kahneman (1973) proposed theory that attention is a cognitive effort that he related to the
mental resources needed to carry out specific activities. - correct answer ✔✔"Central pool" of resources
that has a flexible capacity -> varies on conditions, tasks, situation, etc.
Available attention = general pool of effort that can be subdivided to allocate attention to different
things.
Arousal - correct answer ✔✔general state of excitability of a person, reflected in the activation levels of
the person's emotional, mental, and physiological system. Max attention resources happens when
person is at optimal arousal level
Three general rules influence how people allocate attentional resources. - correct answer ✔✔1. We
allocate attention to ensure that we can complete on activity.
2. We allocate attentional resources according to our enduring dispositions -> involuntary attention
(distractions). Typically by at least two types of characteristics of events in our environment.
3. Person's momentary intentions. (self-directed vs. momentary intention from instruction)
Two types of environmental distractions - correct answer ✔✔Visual or auditory distraction (depends on
situation [basketball noise vs golf])
,Meaningfulness of event to us. (Cocktail party phenomenon- meaningfulness of your name)
According to Wickens, what are the 3 sources that we use to process information? - correct answer
✔✔1. Input and output modalities (vision, limbs, speech)
2. Stages of information processing (perception, memory coding, response output)
3. Codes of processing information (verbal codes, spatial codes)
What occurs when two tasks have to be performed at the same time from a common resource? - correct
answer ✔✔It'll be performed worse than if the resources were different.
Dual-task procedure - correct answer ✔✔common experimental procedure used to investigate attention
limit issues. Determines attention demands and characteristics of simultaneous performance of two
different tasks. Measured by degree of interference with secondary task. If instructions require person to
focus on performing the primary task well, researchers check secondary task performance. If no
instructions are given, performance on both tasks are compared.
Attentional focus - correct answer ✔✔the directing of attention to specific characteristics in a
performance environment, or to action-preparation activities
Attentional focus width - correct answer ✔✔Broad: allows a person to perceive several occurrences
simultaneously
ex: basketball PG and soccer player dribbling ball up field
Narrow: respond to only one or two cues
ex: baseball batter prepares to swing at a pitch, golfer lines up to putt
Attentional focus direction - correct answer ✔✔External: directs attention outward to an object
ex: ball in baseball, puck in hockey, opponent's movements
Internal: directed inward to thoughts and feelings
ex: high jumper prepares to start run-up, bowler readies approach
Attentional switching - correct answer ✔✔shifts the type of attention focus and the object of that
attention
, Is it better to focus on your own movements (internal focus) or the effects of your own movements
(external)? - correct answer ✔✔William James (1980): external.
The constrained action hypothesis states - correct answer ✔✔an internal focus "constrains" the motor
symptom because of conscious control versus automatic control processes.
Skill-focused attention - correct answer ✔✔directed to any aspect of movement. Better for beginners
and learning.
Environmental-focused attention - correct answer ✔✔irected away from the execution of the skill (and
not necessarily on anything relevant to the skill itself). Better in later stages of learning because little
conscious attention monitoring.
Deautomatization-of-skills hypothesis - correct answer ✔✔"choking under pressure"
Automaticity - correct answer ✔✔indicates that a person performs a skill or engages in an information-
processing activity with little or no demands on attention capacity.
Automaticity depends on - correct answer ✔✔practice, experience, and can work on a spectrum of the
degree of attention
Selective attention - correct answer ✔✔efer to the detection and selection of performance-related
information in the performance environment
Visual selective attention - correct answer ✔✔concerns the role of vision in motor skill performance in
the directing visual attention to environmental information that influences action
T/F You can make an eye movement without shifting attention. - correct answer ✔✔False.
T/F It is possible to give attention to a feature in the environment without moving the eyes to focus on
that feature - correct answer ✔✔True
