motorlearning

Motor learning is the study of how people acquire and refine skilled movements through practice and experience. It encompasses relatively permanent changes in the ability to perform a task, as well as the ability to transfer skills to new contexts. Motor learning is distinct from motor development, which tracks age-related changes in movement capabilities, and from short-term performance gains that do not persist after practice stops.

Key concepts include the stages of learning—cognitive, associative, and autonomous—and multiple theoretical perspectives. The closed-loop theory emphasizes online error correction, while Schmidt’s schema theory focuses on the learner’s generalized motor programs. Gentile’s framework integrates task characteristics and action planning, and dynamic systems theory highlights the role of perception, action, and task constraints in self-organizing movement.

Neural substrates include the cerebellum (timing and error correction), motor cortex and premotor areas (planning and execution), the basal ganglia (movement selection and sequencing), and parietal regions that integrate sensory information. Practice induces neural changes that support skill retention and transfer.

Practice and feedback conditions influence learning. Variables include practice structure (massed vs distributed), variability, and the contrast between blocked and random practice. Feedback can be intrinsic or augmented, with knowledge of results and knowledge of performance guiding improvement. Error-based and reinforcement-based learning, as well as implicit (unconscious) and explicit (conscious) learning processes, contribute to skill acquisition.

Applications include rehabilitation after stroke or injury and performance training in sports. Assessing motor learning uses retention and transfer tests to determine durable gains. Effective strategies include task-specific practice, mental imagery, and structured feedback schedules.