Optimal Variability for Effective Motor Learning

Jürgen Birklbauer

doi:10.5771/9783840312915

Summary

This thesis addresses different manifestations and practical implementations of movement variability in respect to their beneficial effects on movement coordination and learning. The focal point of this topic is formed by the comparison between the contextual interference paradigm and the differential learning approach, representing two variable practice strategies found to improve motor learning performance under certain conditions. The theoretical backgrounds and empirical findings of each approach are thoroughly reviewed in the first part of this work. These theoretical concepts, and their resultant practical training approaches, arrive at the notion of an optimal magnitude and structure of movement variability that should be encouraged during practice. The second part of this work presents a parallelgroup study designed to contrast the effects of a high contextual interference and schema-based practice regime with two variants of differential training on the adoption of two indoor hockey skills in beginners.

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2019
ISBN-Print: 978-3-8403-7651-1
ISBN-Online: 978-3-8403-1291-5
Publisher: Meyer & Meyer Verlag, Aachen
Language: English
Pages: 600
Product type: Book Titles

Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis No access Pages 1 - 11
Introduction No access Pages 12 - 16
1. 1. Task (dis)similarity No access
  2. Task complexity No access
  3. Interaction of task similarity and task complexity No access
2. A couple of attempted explanations No access
3. Analyzing the neural basis by means of fMRI and TMS No access
1. 1. Synergetic principles derived from inanimate nature No access
  2. 1. Modeling coordination dynamics: the classic HKB model and its progression No access
    2. Central neural correlates of relative phase dynamics No access
  3. 1. Further control parameters and coordination constraints No access
    2. From rhythmic interlimb through to discrete gross-motor coordination No access
    3. Interpersonal coordination No access
    4. On some further coordination domains of human nature No access
  4. 1. Motor learning in the framework of coordination dynamics No access
    2. The influence of initial coordination dynamics on learning and memory No access
    3. Findings on gross-motor learning of continuous and discrete sport-related skills No access
    4. Neural indices of learning-induced changes in coordination dynamics No access
    5. Individual routes of learning-induced changes in perceptual dynamics No access
  5. 1. Anomalous variability as a harbinger of abrupt changes in child development No access
    2. Detecting and using periods of anomalous variability in psychotherapy No access
2. 1. Generic theoretical models and characterization quantities No access
  2. 1. Variability amplitude versus randomness using the example of postural control No access
    2. The different colors of noise No access
    3. 1/f noise No access
  3. Stochastic resonance and its origins in physics No access
  4. 1. Optimal noise can improve neural processing No access
    2. Optimal noise can improve sensory and perceptual processing No access
    3. Optimal noise can improve behavioral processing in animals and humans No access
  5. Stochastic resonance and the link to (differential) motor learning No access
3. 1. Extracting rules out of experiences: the ability to generalize No access
  2. 1. The synaptic plasticity hypothesis No access
    2. Synaptic changes: different mechanism on different time scales No access
    3. Principles of plasticity or biological learning rules No access
  3. 1. Fundamental components and principles No access
    2. Basis network architectures No access
    3. Basic learning rules No access
    4. Topographic mapping of common features No access
  4. 1. Distributed memory storage No access
    2. Self-organization: learning by examples No access
    3. Validating generalization and some general factors of influence No access
  5. 1. The need for rule extraction even in closed conditions No access
    2. Learning to utilize non-muscular forces No access
    3. The whole may be different from the sum of its parts No access
    4. The change of structuredness of execution variability during learning No access
  6. 1. Physical world comprehension No access
    2. First language acquisition No access
    3. Finite-state artificial grammars No access
    4. Perceptual illusions No access
    5. Superstition: extracting rules even if there are none No access
    6. Logical reasoning even by relatively simple animals No access
    7. Detecting abstract-rule-encoding neurons in monkeys No access
  7. 1. Concerning artificial neural networks No access
    2. Concerning humans and animals No access
  8. 1. The change of plasticity in natural learning No access
    2. Meta-plasticity as a function of the learning process itself No access
  9. 1. The problem of over- and underfitting in computational networks No access
    2. When memorizing idiosyncratic details becomes patho-logical No access
    3. Implications for (motor) learning No access
  10. 1. Adding random noise to computational networks No access
    2. From computational to biological networks No access
    3. Simulated annealing No access
  11. 1. Evaluating acquisition and retention No access
    2. Evaluating generalization and relearning No access
    3. Beyond the simple multi-layer perceptron No access
    4. A brief résumé No access
1. The seeming paradox of reducing noise by noise No access
2. The time-dependent structure of movement time series and the coupling between effectors No access
3. The predictive brain notion: forming a (causal) model of the world No access
4. The improvement of neural networks by random perturbations No access
5. The improvement of neural networks by structured variability No access
6. The contextual interference effect No access
7. The differential learning approach No access
Statement of the Problem No access Pages 469 - 474
1. Overall study design No access
2. Subjects No access
3. Intervention program No access
4. Test design and data collection No access
5. Statistical analysis No access
1. Target shooting No access
2. Slalom dribbling No access
3. Target shooting – slalom dribbling relationship No access
Discussion and Conclusion No access Pages 501 - 510
Bibliography No access Pages 511 - 597
Appendix A: questionnaire No access Pages 598 - 600