Chapter 2: The Measurement of Motor Performance

- Performance outcome measures:

o A category of motor skill performance measures that indicate the outcome or result
of performing a motor skill
 E.g how far a person walked, how fast you ran a distance
 Based on the OUTCOME of the persons PERFORMANCE
o Provide us with info about what happened at the level of actions, where the majr
concern is weather or not the goal of the task was accomplished
- Performance production measures
o A category of motor skill performance measures that indicates the performance of
specific aspects of the motor control system during the performance of a motor skill
(limb kinetics, EMG etc)
 Realte to PEROFMANCE characteristics that PRODUCED the outcome
 Provide info that is relvant to the MOVEENT and NEUROMOTOR process
levels of analysis

Reaction time: A Performance Outcome Measure

- Most common measure indicating how long it takes a person to prepare and initate a
movement
- Interval of time between the onset of a stimukus (signal) and indicates the required
ovement and the initation of the movement
o DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY MOVEMENT RELATED TO A SPEIFIC ACTION – only the time
time BEFORE movement begins*
o The signal can relate to any sensory system & can be required to perform any type
of movement
o Used to assses “prep phase” to completing an action, and anticipation assessment

Movement time:

- The interval of time between the initation of a movement and the completion of the
movement
- Begins when RT ends

Response time

- Total time interval

- Both RT and MT included*
o BUT ONE DOES NOT PREDICT THE OTHER (independent)