Individual Differences

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Individual Differences
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Individual Differences

• Relatively stable enduring characteristics
  unique to individuals
• Height, body type, etc.
• of fast twitch muscle fibers
• Affect the rate potential
  for developing skill
  proficiency

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Motor Abilities

• Genetic traits
• Cannot be modified thru practice
• Prerequisite for skilled performance
• Degree to which develop proficiency dependent on
  if possess necessary underlying
  abilities

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Abilities Skills

• Inherited traits
• Stable enduring
• Few in number
• Underlie performance of many skills

• Developed with practice
• Modifiable
• Many in number
• Depend on different subsets

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Capabilities

• Characteristics subject to change as result of
  practice
• Represent potential to excel in performance of
  task

Multilimb Coordination
Person A
Person B
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Categorizing Motor Abilities

• 11 Perceptual Motor Abilities
• 9 Physical Abilities
• All abilities may not
  yet be identified
• Tracking
• Eye-Foot Coordination
• Dynamic Balance
• Static Balance

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Perceptual Motor Abilities
Control precision Ability to make highly controlled movement adjustments Dribbling a soccer ball
Multi-limb Coordination Ability to coordinate numerous limb movements simultaneously Spiking a volleyball
Reaction Time Ability to rapidly initiate a response Start in swimming race
Rate Control Ability to make continuous speed and direction adjustments Mountain biking

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Physical Proficiency Abilities
Dynamic Strength Ability to exert force repeatedly Rock Climbing
Explosive Strength Ability to create maximum effort by combining force velocity Throwing a javelin
Dynamic Flexibility Ability to make repeated, rapid flexing movements Springboard diving
Gross Body Coordination Ability to coordinate numerous movements simultaneously while in motion Slalom Skiing

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What do you think?

• Can an individual have abilities but not be
  skilled?
• Can an individual be skilled without ability?

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Practical Application

• Expect to see differences in patterns of peoples
  abilities
• Individual pattern will facilitate better
  performance on some tasks rather than others
• Ability pattern only one factor contributing to
  performance

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Underlying Abilities - Volleyball Spike

• Control Precision
• Multi-limb Coord.
• Rate Control
• Aiming
• Explosive Strength
• Trunk Strength
• Dynamic Flexibility

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Skill Subsets
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Task Analysis

• Choose a skill
• Perform task analysis
• Determine underlying abilities required to
  achieve high degree proficiency

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Perceptual Motor Abilities

• Multilimb coordination
• Control precision
• Response orientation
• Reaction time
• Speed of arm movement
• Rate control
• Manual dexterity
• Finger dexterity
• Arm-hand steadiness
• Wrist/finger speed
• Aiming

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Physical Proficiency Abilities

• Static strength
• Dynamic strength
• Explosive strength
• Trunk strength
• Extent flexibility
• Dynamic flexibility
• Gross body coordination
• Stamina

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Predicting Future Performance

• Possible?
• Problems?