When learning a new motor skill, the novice learner may
A) engage all possible degrees of freedom, resulting in uncoordinated movements.
B) incorporate the motion-dependent forces from the leg and trunk movements and gravity, resulting in smoother movements.
C) selectively limit the degrees of freedom, resulting in "stiffer" movement patterns.
D) increase the number of synergies used, resulting in smoother movement patterns.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The novice learner appears "stiff." The movement is stiff because he "freezes" the degrees of freedom (DF) by either holding the joints stiff in cocontraction or using simple, undifferentiated synergies of the trunk and leg segments. It is too challenging for the novice to control muscular forces of all of the segments and coordinate them with passive forces such as the force of gravity. Increasing the DFs or synergies will not produce coordinated or smoother movements.

When Learning a New Motor Skill, the Novice Learner May