Motor Learning and Performance: From Principles to Application

Motor Learning and Performance: From Principles to Application, Fifth Edition With Web Study Guide, describes the principles of motor performance and learning in a style that is accessible even to students with little or no knowledge of physiology, psychology, statistical methods, and other basic sciences. Constructing an easy-to-understand conceptual model of motor performance along the way, this text outlines the principles of motor skill learning, building a strong understanding of how skills are acquired and perfected with practice and showing students how to apply the concepts to a variety of real-world settings. Incorporating familiar scenarios brings the material to life for students, leading to better retention of information and greater interest in practical application of motor performance and learning in their everyday lives and future careers.

The fifth edition of Motor Learning and Performance features a more streamlined organization, with practice situations integrated directly into chapters rather than appearing at the end of the text, facilitating a stronger link between principles derived from research and practical applications. The addition of author Timothy Lee adds a fresh perspective to the text. Other key changes include the following:

&; An improved web study guide offers a principles-to-application exercise and multiple interactive activities for each chapter, ensuring that students will be able to transfer core content from the book to various applied settings.

&; A full-color interior provides a more engaging presentation.

&; Focus on Research and Focus on Application sidebars deliver more detailed research information and make connections to real-world applications in areas such as teaching, coaching, and therapy.

&; Updates to instructor ancillaries feature the addition of lab activities to the instructor guide and new chapter quizzes that assess students&; mastery of the most important concepts covered in the textbook.

&; Pedagogical aids such as learning objectives, glossary of terms, and Check Your Understanding questions throughout help students stay on track with learning in each chapter.

Motor Learning and Performance, Fifth Edition, provides optimal student comprehension, offering a strong conceptual understanding of skills and then building on this with the intricacies of skilled motor performance. Part I investigates the principles of human performance, progressively developing a conceptual model of human actions. The focus is mainly on human performance as based on an information-processing perspective. In part II, the text uses the conceptual model to impart an understanding of human motor learning processes. The presentation style remains simple and straightforward for those without extensive backgrounds in motor performance.

The fifth edition of Motor Learning and Performance: From Principles to Application goes beyond simply presenting research, challenging students not only to grasp but also to apply the fundamental concepts of motor performance and learning. The fifth edition is a valuable tool for anyone who appreciates high-level skilled activity or would like to learn more about how such performances occur.

Richard A. Schmidt, PhD, is professor emeritus in the department of psychology at UCLA. He currently runs his own consulting firm, Human Performance Research, working in the area of human factors and human performance. Known as one of the leaders in research on motor behavior, Dr. Schmidt has more than 35 years of experience in this area and has published widely.

The originator of schema theory, Schmidt founded the Journal of Motor Behavior in 1969 and was editor for 11 years. He authored the first edition of Motor Control and Learning in 1982 and the first edition of Motor Learning and Performance in 1991, and he has since followed up with new editions of both texts.

Schmidt received an honorary doctorate from Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, in recognition of his work. He is a member of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA), where he served as president in 1982 and received the organization&;s two highest honors: the Distinguished Scholar Award for lifetime contributions to research in motor control and learning (in 1992) and the President&;s Award for significant contributions to the development and growth of NASPSPA (in 2013). He is also a member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and the Psychonomic Society and received the C.H. McCloy Research Lectureship from the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. His leisure-time activities include sailboat racing, amateur Porsche racing, and skiing.

Timothy D. Lee, PhD, is a professor in the department of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He has published extensively in motor behavior and psychology journals since 1979. More recently, he has contributed as an editor to both Journal of Motor Behavior and Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport and as an editorial board member for Psychological Review. Since 1984 his research has been supported by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Lee is a member and past president of the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS) and a member of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA), the Psychonomic Society, and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. In 1980 Lee received the inaugural Young Scientist Award from SCAPPS, and in 2011 he was named a fellow of the society&;its highest honor. In 1991-92 he received a senior research fellowship from the Dienst Onderzoekscoordinatie, Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium, and in 2005 he presented a prestigious senior scientist lecture at NASPSPA.

In his leisure time, Lee enjoys playing hockey and golf. He has maintained a lifelong fascination with blues music and is currently putting years of research into practice by learning to play blues guitar.