ONE-DIMENSION CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
We can classify motor skills by determining which skill characteristics are similar to those of other skills.
The most prevalent approach has been to categorize skills according to one common characteristic. This
common characteristic is divided into two categories, which represent extreme ends of a continuum rather than
dichotomous categories.
THREE ONE-DIMENSION MOTOR SKILL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
Each is illustrated as a continuum of the two skill classification categories for the dimension on which
the system is based. Also shown are some examples of motor skills for each of the two categories. For the first
two classification systems, skills are also shown that best fit on the continuum between the two categories.
Consider an analogy. The
concepts “hot” and “cold” represent
two categories of temperatures.
Although we typically consider
them as distinct categories, we also
can view hot and cold as words
describing opposite ends of a
temperature continuum, because
there are degrees of hot or cold
that do not fit exclusively into one
or the other category. By considering hot and cold as anchor points on a continuum, we can maintain the
category distinctions, while at the same time we can more accurately classify various temperature levels that
do not fit into only one or the other category.
1.) THE SIZE OF PRIMARY MUSCULATURE REQUIRED
One characteristic that distinguishes
categories of motor skills is the size of the
primary muscle groups required to perform the
skill. Skills like walking and hopping do not
require as prime movers muscle groups of the
same size as those used for skills like piano
playing and eating with chopsticks. By
distinguishing skills based on the size of the
muscle groups required to perform the skills,
researchers have established a motor skill
classification system in which there are two
categories, known as gross and fine motor
skills.
GROSS MOTOR SKILLS, people need
to use large musculature. These skills need less
movement precision than fine motor skills do.
We commonly see skills such as the so-called
fundamental motor skills—walking, jumping, throwing, leaping, etc.
FINE MOTOR SKILLS require greater control of the small muscles, especially those involved in hand-
eye coordination, and require a high degree of precision in hand and finger movement. Handwriting, typing,
drawing, sewing, and fastening a button are examples of motor skills that are on the fine motor skill end of the
continuum in the muscle size classification system. Note that although large muscles may be involved in
performing a fine motor skill, the small muscles are the primary muscles involved in achieving the goal of the
skill.
2.) THE SPECIFICITY OF WHERE MOVEMENTS OF A SKILL BEGIN AND END
Another way to classify motor skills is on the basis of how specific the beginning and end locations are
for the movements of a skill. If a skill requires a specified beginning and end location, we categorize the skill as
a DISCRETE MOTOR SKILL. Discrete skills include flipping a light switch, depressing the clutch of an
automobile, and hitting a piano key. Each of these skills involves a specified place in the environment to begin
and end movement. Also, as the examples suggest, discrete skills typically are simple, one-movement skills.
At the opposite end of this classification system continuum fall CONTINUOUS MOTOR SKILLS, which
are skills with arbitrary beginning and end locations. In addition, continuous skills usually contain repetitive
movements. We can classify skills such as steering an automobile, tracking a moving cursor on a computer
monitor with a joystick, swimming, and walking as continuous skills. Although some continuous skills, such as
walking and swimming, may have distinct movement beginning locations, the end location is arbitrary, and the
movements are repetitive.
Sometimes a skill requires a series or sequence of discrete movements, such as shifting gears in a
standard shift car, or playing a piece on a piano. We refer to these types of skills as SERIAL MOTOR SKILLS,
although sometimes they are called sequential motor skills, and these skills include the repetitive movements
characteristic of continuous skills and the specified beginning and end points of each movement that
characterize discrete skills. As a result, it is best to locate serial motor skills on the continuum between the
continuous and discrete skills categories. The gear shifting example is a good illustration.
3.) THE STABILITY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT
For this classification system, the
term ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT
refers to the specific physical location
where a skill is performed. It consists of
three features: the supporting surface on
which the person performs the skill,
objects involved in performing the skill,
and other people or animals involved in
the performance situation.
In this classification scheme, the
term stability refers to whether the
relevant environmental context features
are stationary (i.e., stable) or in motion
(i.e., not stable). When the supporting
surface, object, or other people involved
in the performance of a skill are
stationary, the skill is a CLOSED
MOTOR SKILL. For these skills, the
relevant environmental context features
are stationary, which means they do not
change locations during the performance
of a skill. For example, picking up a cup
from a table while you are sitting on a
chair is a closed motor skill; the chair
(i.e., supporting surface) and the cup (i.e., object) do not move between the time you decide to pick up the cup
and the moment you pick it up. Walking in a room full of furniture is also a closed motor skill, because nothing
in the environmental context moves or changes location while you are walking. Other examples of closed
motor skills are shooting an arrow at a stationary target, buttoning a shirt, climbing a flight of stairs, and hitting
a ball off a tee. An Important feature of closed motor skills is that the performer initiates the movements
involved in performing the skill when he or she is ready to do so. Because of this timing of movement initiation
characteristic, some motor learning and control researchers refer to these types of skills as self-paced.
Conversely, an OPEN MOTOR SKILL is a skill that a person performs in an environment in which
supporting surfaces, objects, and/or other people or animals are in motion while the person performs the skill.
To perform this type of skill successfully, the performer must act according to the movement of a supporting
surface, object, and/or other people or animals. Because performers of open skills must time the initiation of
their movement with an external feature in the environment, some motor learning and control researchers refer
to these types of skills as externally paced. Some examples of open motor skills that involve the performer’s
supporting surface in motion include surfing a wave and stepping onto a moving escalator; skills that involve
objects in motion include striking a moving ball and catching a thrown ball; and skills that involve other people
or animals in motion include walking on a sidewalk crowded with people walking, running a distance race with
other runners, coordinating movements with a dance partner, and playing with a puppy.
SUMMARY:
Three one-dimension classification systems distinguish skills on the basis of:
(a) The size of the primary musculature required to perform the skill, classifying skills as gross or fine
• Gross motor skill a motor skill that requires the use of large musculature to achieve the goal of
the skill.
• Fine motor skill a motor skill that requires control of small muscles to achieve the goal of the
skill; typically involves eye-hand coordination and requires a high degree of precision of hand
and finger movement.
(b) The specificity of where movements of the skill begin, classifying skills as continuous or discrete
Discrete motor skill a motor skill with clearly defined movement beginning and end points,
usually requiring a simple movement.
Continuous motor skill a motor skill with arbitrary movement beginning and end points. These
skills usually involve repetitive movements.
Serial motor skill a motor skill involving a series of discrete skills.
(c) The stability of the environmental context in which the skill is performed, classifying skills as open or
closed.
Environmental context the supporting surface, objects, and/or other people or animals involved in the
environment in which a skill is performed.
Closed motor skill a motor skill performed in a stationary environment where the performer
determines when to begin the action.
Open motor skill a motor skill performed in a moving environment where the feature of the
environmental context in motion determines when to begin the action.
