A General Summary of Performer and Performance Changes across the Stages of Learning
Adapted from Magill (2001)
As the degree of expertise increases:
  • Rate of Improvement:
    • the amount of improvement decreases (power law of practice ) 
  • Limb-segment Coordination:
    • coordination patterns change from a "freezing" of limb segments to the segments working together as a functional synergy
  • Movement Pattern Alterations:
    • change from the old pattern to - a transitional state of no evident pattern to - a new pattern
  • Motor Units Involved:
    • the number of motor units involved decreases 
    • the timing pattern of motor unit activation becomes appropriate for the action situation
  • Spatial & Temporal Sequencing:
    • follows a set sequence:
      • spatial 
        • accuracy & consistency
      • temporal
        • velocity
        • acceleration
  • Expended Energy:
    • the amount of energy used to perform a task decreases
    • movement efficiency increases
      • physiological expenditure
        • oxygen
        • caloric
      • mechanical expenditure
        • work rate / metabolic rate
      • muscle fiber coordination
  • Visual Attention:
    • increasingly becomes more focused & directed toward more appropriate (meaningful) sources of information (action-directing cues)
      • decreases attention to irrelevant information
    • speed of pattern recognition increases
  • Conscious Attention: 
    • amount of conscious attention to movement characteristics decreases
    • becomes more subconscious
  • Movement Refinement Capabilities:
    • increases ability & accuracy to detect needed refinements & correct performance errors

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