This text provides an introductory study of motor learning and control for students who aspire to become practitioners in exercise science, physical education, and other movement-oriented professions. Magill opens with an introduction to motor skills and control, continues through attention, memory, and learning, and ends with a discussion of instruction, feedback, and practice methods. The text's strong research base, clear presentation and practical applications will help students build a solid foundation in motor skills and prepare them for further exploration on their own.

Table of Contents

Unit I: Introduction to Motor Skills and Abilities 1 The Classification of Motor Skills 2 The Measurement of Motor Performance 3 Motor Abilities Unit II: Introduction to Motor Control 4 Neuromotor Basis for Motor Control 5 Motor Control Theories 6 Sensory Components of Motor Control 7 Performance and Motor Control Characteristics of Functional Skills 8 Action Preparation Unit III: Attention and Memory 9 Attention as a Limited Capacity Resource 10 Memory Components, Forgetting, and Strategies Unit IV: Introduction to Motor Skill Learning 11 Defining and Assessing Learning 12 The Stages of Learning 13 Transfer of Learning Unit V: Instruction and Augmented Feedback 14 Demonstration and Verbal Instructions 15 Augmented Feedback Unit VI: Practive Conditions 16 Practice Variability and Specificity 17 The Amount and Distribution of Practice 18 Whole and Part Practice 19 Mental Practice

About the Author

Richard Magill is a professor in both the Department of Kinesiology and the Department of Psychology at Louisiana State University. He received his Ph.D. in educational psychology from Florida State University with a specialization in motor learning. Earlier he received an M.Ed. from Temple University and a B.S. from Philedelphia College of Bible.