Modularization and adaptative process in the acquisition of motor skills

Author(s)

Luciano Basso

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Educação Física e Esportes (EEFE/BT)
• Defense date: 2002-07-29

Examining board members

Edison de Jesus Manoel; José Angelo Barela; Go Tani

• Advisor: Edison de Jesus Manoel

Abstract

The present study examined how skills formerly practised are used in the acquisition of a new skill. On the basis of a theoretical framework two hypotheses were formulated: First, the skill formerly practised woud be fully maintained in the new task (that is, its macrostructure would no be perturbed by demands of the new task), this would be in line with the hypothesis of modularization; Second, the skill formerly practised would be partially modified in the new skill (that is, its macro-structure would be altered to a certain degree), this would be in line with the hypothesis of the adaptive process. The experimental task consisted of toching , with one hand, a serie of targets (sensitive templates) flush with a table, as fast as possible and in a given order. The complex task involved adding two new targerts to either side of the sequence of targets formerly practised which led to two experimental groups: GD, when the new targets were put in the right side of the sequence, and GE, when put in the left side. Two experiments were carried out differing on whether the sequence of touches were defined by the experimenter (experiment 1) or by the subject (experiment 2). Both experiments consisted of three phases: Acquisition (simple task); Transfer (simple task plus two new targets resulting in a complex task) and Retention (complex task, fifteen minutes after the end of the transfer phase). The measures used can be grouped in the three sets. The global performance measures regarding the number of error trials and total movement time. The macro-structure measures refer to the variability of relative timing, the mean relative timing of each component and its variability. The micro-structure measures consisting of variability of total movement time, mean movement time of each component and its variability. The results of experiment 1, regarding the basic unit, showed some evidence suorting both hypothesis. This can be explained due to a major perturbation applied to the basic unit, particularly for GE. Another aspect worth notting was that the modification of the macrostructure of the basic unit was associated with better overall performance in the complex task and also with a more consistent macro-structure for the same task. In experiment 2, the inicial two groups were subdivided in eight sub-groups according to the sequential pattern established at will by the individuals. The results gave also support the both hypotheses. One group, in particular GD(A5), had the insertion of the new targets to the right side of the sequence like GD of experiment 1, but its macro-structure was modified unlike GD of experiment 1. This shows that spatial configuration per se is not enough to define how skill are organised and reorganised. In the same vein, the overall performance of the complex task and its macro-structure were similar among groups. In sum, the results indicate that the acquisition of a new skill may involve maintenance or alteration of the structure of the skills formerly practised. What are the conditions that lead to a predominance of one or other possibility should be object of new studies (AU)