1. The Classification of Motor Skills
Chapter 1
The Classification of Motor Skills

2. Skills, Actions, and Movement
Skill is a task that has a specific goal to achieve (action goal)
Motor skills require body, head, and/or limb movement to achieve its goal
Actions are goal-oriented activities that consist of body and/or limb movements
Common motor skills share these characteristics and need to be learned

3. Movements
Behavioral characteristics of a specific limb or a combination of limbs
3 reasons for distinguishing movement from skills and actions:
People learn motor skills and actions
People adapt movement characteristics to achieve a common goal
People evaluate actions and movements with different types of measures

4. One-Dimension Classification Systems
Identifies skill characteristics that are similar to those of other skills
Divided into two categories, each representing extreme ends of a continuum

5. One-Dimension Classification Systems, cont’d
Three motor skill classifications that use one-dimension approaches (Figure 1.1)
Size of primary musculature required
Specificity of where actions begin or end
Stability of the environment context

6. Size of Primary Musculature Required
Two categories:
Gross motor skills (requires the use of large musculature to achieve the goal of the skills, i.e., walking, jumping)
Fine motor skills (requires control of small muscles to achieve the goal of the skill, i.e., hand/eye coordination)
Some motor skills involve both types to achieve the action goal and would be located between the two points

7. Specificity of Where Actions Begin or End
Two main categories:
Discrete motor skill (defined beginning and end points, usually requiring a simple movement, i.e., flipping a light switch – a one-movement skill)
Continuous motor skill (arbitrary beginning and end points; these skills involve repetitive movements, i.e., steering a car)
Serial motor skill (involving a series of discrete skills, i.e., using a stick shift in an automobile)

8. Stability of the Environmental Context
Two main concepts:
Closed motor skill (motor skill performed in a stable or predictable environment where the performer determines when to begin the action, i.e., picking up a cup while seated)
Open motor skill (motor skill involving a non-stable, unpredictable environment where an object or environmental context is in motion and determines when to begin the action, i.e., running a race with other runners)

9. Gentile’s Two-Dimensions Taxonomy
Taxonomy is a classification system organized according to relationships among the component characteristics of what is being classified

10. Gentile’s Two-Dimensions Taxonomy, cont’d
Two-dimensional approaches include:
Environmental context
Regulatory conditions which are characteristics of environment that control the movement characteristics of an action
Intertrial variability refers to regulatory conditions during performance are the same or different from one attempt to perform the skill to another

11. Gentile’s Two-Dimensions Taxonomy, cont’d
Two-dimensional approaches include:
Function of the action
Body orientation refers to the changing or maintaining of body location (body stability, body transport)
Object manipulation results in change of the position of an object

12. The 16 Skill Categories
The interaction of the four environmental context characteristics and the four action function characteristics creates 16 skill categories
Table 1.1 will show the Gentile’s original presentation of taxonomy along with two examples of skill in each category

13. The Classification of Motor Skills
Chapter 1
The Classification of Motor Skills