Chapter 5 Measuring Changes in Coordination and Control

Publisher Summary This chapter explains measuring changes in coordination and control. Dependent measures for assessing changes in coordination and control as a function of practice and associated variables are presented. Examples are drawn from the literature on gait, sports skills, and laboratory aiming tasks to illustrate how coordination and control have been operationally defined. Some suggestions are made as to how the magnitude of change in coordination can be evaluated. Despite their increasing facility with movement analysis techniques, motor behavior researchers appear to be reluctant to focus their attention on the traditional issues of motor learning and motor development. It is possible that lack of theorizing about learning and development is hindering work in these areas. Alternatively, it is possible that appropriate research designs and movement measurement procedures are impediments to progress. Finally, it is proposed that single-case research designs should be considered by motor behavior researchers as an alternative to large between-subject designs.