One Dimension Classification System

- Motor skills can be classified by determining which skill characteristics are similar to those of
other skills
o *Categorize skills according to 1 common characteristic
 This characteristic is divided into 2 categories, which represent extreme
ends of a continuum rather than dichotomous categories
 SO, thus a skill can be classified in terms of which CATEGORY the
skill characteristic is MORE Like, rather then requiring that the
characteristic fit one category EXCLUSIVELY
 E.g using hot and cold (opposite ends BUT classify various temp
levels according to this)

Three Motor Skill Classification Systems that use the one-dimension approach:

- 1. Size of Primary Musculature Required

o Gross Motor Skills: Require large musculature
 “Fundamental Motor skills” – walking, jumping, throwing etc
o Fine Motor Skills: greater control of small muscls (esp hand eye coordination)
 High degree of precision in hand and finger movements
 Handwriting, typing, drawing
 *LARGE muscles may be involved in performing a fine motor skill BUT the
small muscles are the primary muscles INVOLVED in ACHEIEVING the goal of
the skill
- 2. The Specificity of Where Movements of a skill Begin and End
o Discrete motor skill: have a specified beginning and end location
 Flipping light switc, hitting a piano key
 *Specified plane in environment to begin and end movement*
 Are usually simple, one movement skills
 How we CONTROL movement
o Continuous motor skills: skills with an arbituary beginning and end location
 Steering a car, swimming, tracking a cursor, walking
 End location is almost always arbitrary even if beginning has a
location (walking for e.gx)
 Movements are REPETITIVE
o Serial motor skills:
 A series or sequence of discrete movements
 E.g playing a piece on the piano or shifting gears
 Include the REPETIVE MOVEMENTS of contnious and the specified
begiing and end in DISCRETE