Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Hierarchy of Motor Control

Hierarchy of Motor Control

The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.

Steps in the Modeling Process

Steps in the Modeling Process

Albert Bandura's theory of observational learning identifies four critical processes: attention, retention, motor reproduction, and reinforcement or motivation.
Attention is the first necessary component for observational learning. It involves focusing on what the model is doing and saying. For example, if you decide to take a drawing class to enhance your skills, you need to pay close attention to the instructor's words and hand movements. The characteristics of the model significantly...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Challenges in skill acquisition and memory retention in children with developmental language disorder.

International journal of language & communication disorders·2025

Same author

Dynamics of Motor Skill Learning in American and Israeli Toddlers With Varied Language Proficiency.

American journal of speech-language pathology·2024

Same author

Cognitive flexibility in children with Developmental Language Disorder: Drawing of nonexistent objects.

Journal of communication disorders·2021

Same author

Learning of a simple grapho-motor task by young children and adults: similar acquisition but age-dependent retention.

Frontiers in psychology·2015

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice

Published on: March 4, 2014

Different post-training processes in children's and adults' motor skill learning.

Esther Adi-Japha^1,2, Roni Berke¹, Nehama Shaya¹

¹School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.

|January 11, 2019

Summary

Young children show improved motor skill learning speed after training, unlike adults. These gains persist for weeks, suggesting different learning mechanisms and supporting tailored skill instruction for different age groups.

More Related Videos

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Published on: February 12, 2017

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another

Published on: September 18, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice

Published on: March 4, 2014

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Published on: February 12, 2017

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another

Published on: September 18, 2017

Area of Science:

Motor Skill Acquisition
Developmental Psychology
Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

Previous research indicates that school-aged children, but not adults, exhibit performance improvements in motor skills within hours of training.
This suggests potential differences in the underlying mechanisms of motor skill learning between children and adults.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether young children (as young as 5 years old) and young adults share similar motor skill learning processes.
To examine post-training performance changes and their retention in both age groups using a grapho-motor task.

Main Methods:

Participants, including 5-year-old children and young adults, practiced a simple grapho-motor task.
Performance speed was assessed at baseline, a few hours post-training, and two weeks later.
The relationship between initial performance level and training gains in children was analyzed.

Main Results:

Children demonstrated faster performance a few hours after training, replicating previous findings.
These performance gains in children were retained two weeks post-training.
Adults did not show similar training-dependent performance gains.
In children, initial performance levels correlated with the magnitude of post-training gains.

Conclusions:

Behavioral evidence indicates distinct post-training motor skill learning processes in children compared to adults.
The findings support the need for differential tutoring strategies tailored to the age-specific learning mechanisms.
Motor skill development in children appears to involve different consolidation or optimization processes than in adults.