Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Heritability of motor skill

L R Williams, J B Gross

    Acta Geneticae Medicae Et Gemellologiae
    |January 1, 1980
    PubMed
    Summary

    Genetic factors significantly influence gross motor skill learning, with heritability increasing over time. Environmental factors play a larger role in initial skill acquisition, highlighting potential for targeted interventions.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

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

    Sort by
    Same author

    A photo-elicitation exploration of UK mothers' experiences of extended breastfeeding.

    Appetite·2021
    Same author

    Drinking frequency effects on the performance of cattle: a systematic review.

    Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition·2016
    Same author

    The power of data.

    British dental journal·2015
    Same author

    Custom-made titanium cranioplasty: early and late complications of 151 cranioplasties and review of the literature.

    International journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery·2014
    Same author

    The dual-acting chemotherapeutic agent Alchemix induces cell death independently of ATM and p53.

    Oncogene·2014
    Same author

    High ciliary neuronotrophic specific activity in rat peripheral nerve.

    International journal of developmental neuroscience : the official journal of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience·2014

    Area of Science:

    • Behavioral Genetics
    • Motor Learning
    • Human Performance

    Background:

    • Understanding the genetic and environmental contributions to motor skill acquisition is crucial for optimizing training and rehabilitation.
    • Twin studies provide a powerful methodology for disentangling genetic and environmental influences on complex traits.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the genetic contribution to the learning and performance of a gross motor skill using a twin study design.
    • To quantify the proportions of phenotypic variance attributable to heritability, systematic environmental effects, and nonsystematic environmental effects.

    Main Methods:

    • A total of 22 monozygotic (MZ) and 41 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs completed 72 trials on a stabilometer balance task over six days.
    • Intraclass correlations were calculated to estimate heritability (h2), systematic environmental variance (E2), and nonsystematic environmental effects (e2).
    • Learning profiles and intrapair resemblance were analyzed between MZ and DZ twins.

    Main Results:

    • Heritability for the gross motor skill was low initially, increasing to approximately 65% during later practice stages.
    • Systematic environmental variance (E2) was highest during early learning (24%) and subsequently decreased.
    • Monozygotic twins exhibited greater intrapair resemblance in learning profiles compared to dizygotic twins.

    Conclusions:

    • Genetic influence on gross motor skill performance increases with practice.
    • Environmental factors are significant, particularly in the early stages of motor skill acquisition.
    • Systematic environmental interventions can effectively influence both performance levels and individual differences in gross motor skills.

    Related Experiment Videos