Action, Movement, and Culture: Does Culture Shape Movement?

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blandine Bril
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Critical Dimension ◽  
Metabolic Processes ◽  
Cultural Variations ◽  
Functional Perspective ◽  
Physical Environments

What any traveler can definitely notice is the incredible diversity of everyday skills due to the cultural diversity of tools, raw materials, physical environments, or local postural habits that set up the conditions for performing tasks. Do cultural environments influence motor skills? Are there “motor styles” common to members of a given cultural group? Focusing on instrumental everyday actions from a functional perspective, we propose four cases to illustrate in detail cultural variations in motor behavior. The first example explores the movement repertoire of expert potters from two cultural backgrounds when asked to produce pots of the same shape. A second example analyzes how a dance figure based on the same mechanical principles gives rise to different cultural aesthetics. The third example questions the adaptation of metabolic processes while performing the same load-carrying task in various physical environments. The last example brings up the issue of cultural choices of working and resting postures. Each case refers to a critical dimension of what generates the cultural diversity of motor skills: operational equivalence of movements, variation in the “weighing” of the parameters of the action, adaptation of metabolic processes, and adaptive benefit of specific posture. We conclude that if the countless diversity of cultural contexts and tasks give rise to an enormous diversity of movements and postures, this diversity is anchored in the many degrees of freedom of the organism. It is this profusion of degrees of freedom that sustains the endless variations of cultural motor skills giving ways to infinite manners of using one’s own body.

The problem of studying motor skills in connection with the peculiarities of the body and psyche

1927 ◽  
Vol 23 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 735-740
Author(s):  
I. N. Zhilin
Keyword(s):  
Motor Skills ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
The Body ◽  
Motor Functions ◽  
Mental Structure ◽  
General Pathology ◽  
Mental Diseases

Kretschmer's doctrine of the correlation between physique and character overlooks a question that lies in the plane of similar correlations, namely, that of the correlation between motor functions and the mental structure of personality. This question attracts much attention these days and must occupy the most legitimate place among other problems included in the study of personality, both healthy and sick. In the latter case, it is worth remembering at least the instructions of Wernicke (2), who opined that "the general pathology of mental diseases consists in nothing else than in peculiarities of motor behavior".

scholarly journals An internal model approach for motor behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 356-371
Author(s):  
Cláudio M. F. Leite ◽  
Carlos E. Campos ◽  
Crislaine R. Couto ◽  
Herbert Ugrinowitsch
Keyword(s):  
Motor Skills ◽  
Internal Model ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
External World ◽  
Internal Models ◽  
Sensory Inputs ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Internal Coherence ◽  
Motor Actions ◽  
Model Approach

Interacting with the environment requires a remarkable ability to control, learn, and adapt motor skills to ever-changing conditions. The intriguing complexity involved in the process of controlling, learning, and adapting motor skills has led to the development of many theoretical approaches to explain and investigate motor behavior. This paper will present a theoretical approach built upon the top-down mode of motor control that shows substantial internal coherence and has a large and growing body of empirical evidence: The Internal Models. The Internal Models are representations of the external world within the CNS, which learn to predict this external world, simulate behaviors based on sensory inputs, and transform these predictions into motor actions. We present the Internal Models’ background based on two main structures, Inverse and Forward models, explain how they work, and present some applicability.

092 Effect of the dual orexin receptor antagonist (DORA) daridorexant on behaviour upon awakening in rats and dogs

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A38-A39
Author(s):  
Giorgio Bergamini ◽  
Catherine Roch ◽  
Sean Durkin ◽  
Michel Steiner
Keyword(s):  
Grip Strength ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Muscle Weakness ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Phase Behaviour ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Time Point

Abstract Introduction The ability to be fast alert and to interact with the environment without motor impairment upon waking up, is a critical feature of natural sleep. DORAs represent a new class of insomnia medications that specifically inhibit the wake-promoting effects of orexin neuropeptides. Daridorexant is a potent and selective DORA under late stage development for the treatment of insomnia. Here, we assessed the impact of sleep-promoting doses of daridorexant on rats’ and dogs’ behaviour upon forced awakening. Zolpidem (a positive GABAA receptor modulator) was used as active comparator in rats because of its known negative impact on motor functions. Methods Rats were woken up at different time points after oral administration of daridorexant (10, 30, 100 mg/kg) or zolpidem (30, 100 mg/kg) during their inactive phase, and repeatedly subjected to two motor tasks: 1) the rotating rod test (lasting 120 sec, at each time point) assessing gross motor skills and coordination, and 2) the forepaw grip strength test assessing fine motor skills and muscle strength. Dogs were presented with food as an external, salient stimulus, three hours after administration of daridorexant in gelatin capsules (10, 30 or 90 mg/dog) during their active phase. Behaviour and signs of muscle weakness, after having woken up, were assessed by manual inspection of video recordings and concomitant electroencephalogram/electromyogram recordings. Results In both the rotarod and grip tests, daridorexant treatment had no effect on motor behavior at any dose or time point tested, while zolpidem significantly reduced the time spent on the rotarod and the grip strength in a dose and time-dependent manner (N=12/group; p<0.001;) (e.g. at 30 min post-dose, time spent on the rotarod was 84, 79–89 and 10–19 sec for vehicle, daridorexant and zolpidem, respectively). Dogs treated with daridorexant were able to wake up easily upon food presentation. They behaved and ate normally and did not show any signs of muscle weakness. Conclusion The type of sleep promoted by daridorexant is surmountable in rats and dogs and similar to physiological sleep. It allows animals to easily wake up, to behave normally without motor impairment and to respond efficiently to the environmental conditions. Support (if any) Funded by Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Effects of Self-Controlled Knowledge of Results on Learning a Taekwondo Serial Skill

2019 ◽  
Vol 126 (6) ◽  
pp. 1178-1194
Author(s):  
M. S. Januário ◽  
L. S. Figueiredo ◽  
L. L. Portes ◽  
R. N. Benda
Keyword(s):  
Motor Skills ◽  
Retention Test ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Knowledge Of Results ◽  
Target Time ◽  
Sports Skills ◽  
Skills Learning ◽  
Control Feedback

Allowing learners to control feedback has been an effective strategy in motor skills learning. However, most studies of self-controlled (SC) feedback have used simple tasks that may be dissimilar to sports skills that generally demand more degrees of freedom and cognition. Thus, this study investigated the effects of SC knowledge of results (KR) on learning a complex Taekwondo skill. Twenty-four undergraduate volunteers of both sexes, aged 18-35 years, practiced a specific serial Taekwondo skill that was novel to them. We divided participants randomly into SC and yoked groups and compared their performance after they learned a specific displacement sequence, finishing with a lateral kick (bandal-tchagui) at a punching bag within a target time span. During acquisition, all participants performed 48 trials divided into six blocks and, on a retention test 24 hours later, they performed 10 more trials. We found that both groups reduced their errors from the first to the last block of the acquisition phase and that the SC group showed a better performance on the retention test, relative to the yoked control group. SC KR participants requested KR mainly after good trials, though they showed no statistically significant differences between trials with and without KR. Their inefficiency in estimating their own errors may have been due to task complexity, since many aspects of the task beyond its temporal requirement demanded the learners’ attention. Our results, using a novel Taekwondo serial skill, confirm and extend the benefits of SC KR from just simple motor learning in past studies to learning complex motor skills.

Adaptability of innate motor patterns and motor control mechanisms

1986 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 585-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. B. Berkinblit ◽  
A. G. Feldman ◽  
O. I. Fukson
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Motor Control ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Behavioral Plasticity ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
Voluntary Control ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Motor Equivalence ◽  
Motor Patterns ◽  
Dynamic Components

AbstractThe following factors underlying behavioral plasticity are discussed: (1) reflex adaptability and its role in the voluntary control of movement, (2) degrees of freedom and motor equivalence, and (3) the problem of the discrete organization of motor behavior. Our discussion concerns a variety of innate motor patterns, with emphasis on the wiping reflex in the frog.It is proposed that central regulation of stretch reflex thresholds governs voluntary control over muscle force and length. This suggestion is an integral part of the equilibrium-point hypothesis, two versions of which are compared.Kinematic analysis of the wiping reflex in the spinal frog has shown that each stimulated skin site is associated with a group of different but equally effective trajectories directed to the target site. Such phenomena reflect the principle of motor equivalence -the capacity of the neuronal structures responsible for movement to select one or another of a set of possible trajectories leading to the goal. Redundancy of degrees of freedom at the neuronal level as well as at the mechanical level of the body's joints makes motor equivalence possible. This sort of equivalence accommodates the overall flexibility of motor behavior.An integrated behavioral act or a single movement consists of dynamic components. We distinguish six components for the wiping reflex, each associated with a certain functional goal, specific body positions, and motor-equivalent movement patterns. The nervous system can combine the available components in various ways in forming integrated behavioral sequences. The significance of command neuronal organization is discussed with respect to (1) the combinatory strategy of the nervous system and (2) the relation between continuous and discrete forms of motor control. We conclude that voluntary movements are effected by the central nervous system with the help of the mechanisms that underlie the variability and modifiability of innate motor patterns.

The Participant-Observer: A Source of Invalidity in Measuring Motor Skills?

1977 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
Margaret J. Safrit ◽  
Diane M. Korell ◽  
E. Dawn McDonald ◽  
Marilyn E. Yeates
Keyword(s):  
Motor Skills ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
Incident Light ◽  
Test Validity ◽  
Educational Setting ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Overarm Throw ◽  
Written Test ◽  
Participant Observer

Test validity can be defined as the accuracy of a test score. Artifacts, sources of error that affect validity, have been studied in both research design and written test frameworks but have received little attention in the context of tests of motor behavior in an educational setting. One potential source of invalidity in motor skill testing is the presence of participant-observers. The participant-observer effect is defined as the influence of the presence of other subjects who are waiting to be tested or who have already been tested on subjects who are being tested. This study was designed to measure the test performances of 175 college women with participant-observers present and with participant-observers absent. The test was an overarm throw for speed measured by an incident light velocimeter. The data were analyzed using 2 × 4 fixed-effects analysis of variance. The presence of other participant-observers did not elicit performance scores that were different from those of subjects tested alone. Thus testing subjects in groups where one member of the group is tested while the others observe did not adversely affect performance on the overarm throw compared with that of subjects tested alone.

scholarly journals From cineradiography to biorobots: an approach for designing robots to emulate and study animal locomotion

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (119) ◽  
pp. 20151089 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Karakasiliotis ◽  
R. Thandiackal ◽  
K. Melo ◽  
T. Horvat ◽  
N. K. Mahabadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dynamic Scaling ◽  
Descending Pathways ◽  
Animal Locomotion ◽  
Lateral Displacements

Robots are increasingly used as scientific tools to investigate animal locomotion. However, designing a robot that properly emulates the kinematic and dynamic properties of an animal is difficult because of the complexity of musculoskeletal systems and the limitations of current robotics technology. Here, we propose a design process that combines high-speed cineradiography, optimization, dynamic scaling, three-dimensional printing, high-end servomotors and a tailored dry-suit to construct Pleurobot: a salamander-like robot that closely mimics its biological counterpart, Pleurodeles waltl . Our previous robots helped us test and confirm hypotheses on the interaction between the locomotor neuronal networks of the limbs and the spine to generate basic swimming and walking gaits. With Pleurobot, we demonstrate a design process that will enable studies of richer motor skills in salamanders. In particular, we are interested in how these richer motor skills can be obtained by extending our spinal cord models with the addition of more descending pathways and more detailed limb central pattern generator networks. Pleurobot is a dynamically scaled amphibious salamander robot with a large number of actuated degrees of freedom (DOFs: 27 in total). Because of our design process, the robot can capture most of the animal's DOFs and range of motion, especially at the limbs. We demonstrate the robot's abilities by imposing raw kinematic data, extracted from X-ray videos, to the robot's joints for basic locomotor behaviours in water and on land. The robot closely matches the behaviour of the animal in terms of relative forward speeds and lateral displacements. Ground reaction forces during walking also resemble those of the animal. Based on our results, we anticipate that future studies on richer motor skills in salamanders will highly benefit from Pleurobot's design.

scholarly journals FAKTOR – FAKTOR PENGEMBANGAN KARIR BERBASIS KOMPETENSI TERHADAP KINERJA KARYAWAN DI PT. PG RAJAWALI II UNIT PG KARANGSUWUNG

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-39
Author(s):  
Asep Gunawan ◽  
Shinta Rosaindah Utami
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Development Factor ◽  
Variable Factor ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
A Company

A company in carrying out its activities are in need of the factors of production such as raw materials, machinery, and human resources. These factors must be carried out effectively and efficiently in order to achieve the goals set by the company. Labor or employee plays an important role in a company, because the company will not be developed and supported by the ability to grow without labor or employee even if the company has a complete infrastructure and sophisticated, because of all the activities undertaken by a firm depends on factors man, from planning, implementation, control The objectives in this study was to determine the influence of factors - competency -based career development factors affect the performance of employees at PT. PG Rajawali II Unit Karangsuwung. The method used in this study is a survey method. The conclusions of this study is that the variable t for career development factor of 7,454. So the value of the variable t is greater than t table (7,454 > 1,680), so that in partial career development factors have an influence on the performance of the employee, that the competence of the variable t for 2808. So the value of the variable t is greater than t table (2,808 > 1,680), so that in partial competencies have an influence on employee performance and based on the results obtained Fcount 32 504. While the F table with degrees of freedom k and v1 = v2 = n - k - 1 and with a = 0.05) obtained Ftable 2,790. aconfidence level of 95 % (Thus F value is greater than the value of F table ( 32 504 > 2,790 ) . Thus it can be said that the variable factor of career development and competency have influence with , meaning that the two variables are always influencing the performance of employees at PT. PG Rajawali II Unit Karangsuwung Keyword : competency, career, PT. PG Rajawali

scholarly journals Gross motor skill evaluation in adolescents with Down syndrome

1970 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Leandro Celestino ◽  
Juliana Cazetta Pereira ◽  
Ana M. Forti Barela
Keyword(s):  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
Gross Motor ◽  
Gross Motor Skills ◽  
Object Control ◽  
Intervention Protocol ◽  
Overhand Throwing ◽  
Skill Evaluation ◽  
Gross Motor Skill

The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of gross motor skills of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) older than 10 years of age. Nine individuals with DS between 14 and 20 years (17.89±2.20) were recruited from “Centro de Ação Social Espaço Livre”, São Paulo, SP. They were videotaped performing six locomotor skills (running, galloping, hoping, leaping, horizontal jumping, sliding) and six object control skills (striking a stationary ball, stationary dribbling, catching, kicking, overhand throwing, underhand rolling) on one occasion at the same place where they were recruited. All performed skills were analyzed by three trained evaluators according to specific criteria to determine their age equivalent for both locomotor and object control skills. All participants presented age equivalent under their chronological age for all skills. According to these results, we conclude that individuals with DS above 10 years old present a developmental delay on gross motor skills. We also suggest that future investigations take into account an intervention protocol to DS individuals older than 10 years of age in order to verify its effects of it on these individuals’ motor behavior.  

The origin and use of positional frames of reference in motor control

1995 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anatol G. Feldman ◽  
Mindy F. Levin
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
Physiological Mechanism ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
Frames Of Reference ◽  
Movement Trajectory ◽  
Control Variables

AbstractA hypothesis about sensorimotor integration (the λ model) is described and applied to movement control and kinesthesia. The central idea is that the nervous system organizes positional frames of reference for the sensorimotor apparatus and produces active movements by shifting the frames in terms of spatial coordinates. Kinematic and electromyographic patterns are not programmed, but emerge from the dynamic interaction among the system s components, including external forces within the designated frame of reference. Motoneuronal threshold properties and proprioceptive inputs to motoneurons may be cardinal components of the physiological mechanism that produces positional frames of reference. The hypothesis that intentional movements are produced by shifting the frame of reference is extended to multi-muscle and multi-degrees-of-freedom systems with a solution of the redundancy problem that allows the control of a joint alone or in combination with other joints to produce any desired limb configuration and movement trajectory. The model also implies that for each motor behavior, the nervous system uses a strategy that minimizes the number of changeable control variables and keeps the parameters of these changes invariant. Examples are provided of simulated kinematic and electromyographic signals from single- and multi-joint arm movements produced by suggested patterns of control variables. Empirical support is provided and additional tests of the model are suggested. The model is contrasted with others based on the ideas of programming of motoneuronal activity, muscle forces, stiffness, or movement kinematics.

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