DEFINING MOTOR SKILLS SPECIFICALLY

Our proceeding discussion resulted in a general definition of skill, regardless of the

specific domain of skill addressed. What about motor skills specifically, though? Defining
motor skills entails the same three components used with the more general definition of skill
but also addresses the contributions of the motor system and movement in accomplishing
skill goals. Narrowing our definition of skill to motor skills, we can say that:

 Motor skills cover a broad range of behaviours accomplished primarily through the
coordination of limbs and body segments brought about through involvement of the
musculature.

 Motor skills are directed toward the accomplishment of specific environmental

goals, and goal attainment is importantly dependent on movement. Although any
skilled behaviour involves combinations of cognitive, perceptual, and motor
processes in varying degrees of importance, motor skills refer to performance that
is “muscular,” that is, where muscular activity is the primary determinant in goal
attainment.

 Motor skills are learned. Motor skills do not result from the activity of reflexes or
inherent natural abilities—they must be learned. Motor skills range from simple
actions easily learned, such as depressing a telegraph key on signal, to complex
sports skills requiring lengthy periods of practice to master.

 A motor skill is a function, which involves the precise movement of muscles with the
intent to perform a specific act.

Most purposeful movement requires the ability to "feel" or sense what one's
muscles are doing as they perform the act. Motor difficulties occur when an
individual lacks the ability to move in the way he or she originally intended. This can
have a significant effect on classroom performance and motivation in school.

 We are born to move, but learn to move skilfully. When people run, walk with an artificial
limb, throw a baseball, hit a tennis ball, play the piano, dance, or operate a wood lathe,
they are engaged in the performance of a type of human behaviour called motor skills.
 Folding these features into definitional form, we can offer the following expanded definition
of a motor skill:

 A motor skill is a learned, goal-directed activity accomplished primarily through

muscular contributions to action and entailing a broad range of human behaviours.
This definition, referred to as the classic definition of motor skill, represents a
categorical definition. This means that any activity or behaviour so described is, by
definition, a motor skill. That is, it is a definition that circumscribes all behaviours
considered motor skills, regardless of the quality of those behaviours. In this sense, it
is a definition of motor skill as a “thing.” This is a widely accepted definition pervasive
in the literature and echoed by many authors over the years, so that we might label it
as the classic definition of motor skills.

 A definition of motor skill in terms of the characteristics separating performers of

various skill levels was offered in 1952 by Guthrie and has continued to influence the
definition of motor skills to the present. Guthrie posited that all motor skills consist of
the ability to bring about some end result with maximum certainty and a minimum
outlay of energy, or of energy and time. There is intuitive appeal in Guthrie’s
definition. In particular, it highlights the qualitative aspect of motor skills. That is,
different individuals performing the same skill can exhibit varying quality of
performance. Specific in Guthrie’s definition are three features separating unskilled
from skilled performers.

Skill - "Voluntary goal-directed activity learned through practice or experience"

Motor skill - "Voluntary goal-directed activity learned through practice or experience that
requires movement of body or limbs to achieve the goal”.