juggling

Press pause for a reality check: Imagining performing motor skills tempers overconfidence from just watching.

Submitted by nicolah on 5. May 2024 - 22:19

It shouldn’t be surprising that to learn a new motor skill (a golf swing, perhaps?), that watching someone perform it a few times is a good place to start. However, our research here suggests that it might be worth taking a moment to imagine yourself performing the golf swing too, after watching, to give yourself a realistic notion of your present abilities. This

Author:

Avi Mehrotra

Reference:

What we imagine learning from watching others: how motor imagery modulates competency perceptions resulting from the repeated observation of a juggling action

It’s not enough just to feel or see what’s correct, you need to 'actively' experience

Submitted by nicolah on 12. July 2012 - 12:50

Have you ever wondered how effective it is to physically guide a person through an action? In sports, the instructor might hold a person's arm to show them how to hit a golf ball or strike a volleyball serve. In rehabilitation, robotic devices are used to guide a person's limb for therapy purposes. What we and others have shown is that this technique is useful when applied, but that it compromises learning once it is removed. In this study, people practised a novel, two limb coordination movement.

Image:

Author:

Nicola Hodges

Reference:

Acquiring a Novel Coordination Skill without Practicing the Correct Motor Commands