Learning a Complex Motor Skill from Video and Point-Light Demonstrations

Abstract

Summary.-The aim of this study was to compare the learning process of a highly complex ballet skill following demonstrations of point-light and video models. 16 participants divided into point-light and video groups (nȶƽȶŞǼȱȱŗŜŖȱ ȱȱȱĴǰȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱŘŖȱǰȱȱȱȱ demonstration and practice, with a retention test a day later. Measures of head and trunk oscillation, coordination disparity from the model, and movement time difference showed similarities between video and point-light groups; ballet experts' evaluations indicated superiority of performance in the video over the point-light ǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱȱȱȱ ǰȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱĜ¢ȱȱ higher relevance of information contained in biological motion models applied to learning of complex motor skills.Perceiving other persons' actions, emotions, and intentions is a very ȱȱǻ ȱǭȱěǰȱŘŖŖŝǼǯȱȱȱȱȱȱ human movement, one of the aspects necessary to observational learning ǻ ǰȱ ǰȱ¢ǰȱǰȱǭȱ ǰȱŘŖŖŝǼǯȱȱȱȱ-ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǰȱ ¢ȱ -serving others, into motor commands to reproduce the observed behavior ǻǰȱǰȱ¢ǰȱǭȱ ǰȱŘŖŖŝǼǯ ȱȱȱȱȱȱǰȱȱȱȱȱȱ body segments in a new and functionally integrated manner. Important visual information available to the learner when observing others' activity ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱǻ¢ȱǭȱ ǰȱŗşŞśǼǯȱ-cations of information regarding this relative motion are stronger in the initial stage of motor learning than in the more advanced ones (Newell, ŗşŞśǼǯ 1 Address correspondence to Sérgio Tosi Rodrigues, Laboratory of Information, Vision, and ȱǻ Ǽǰȱ ǯȱȱ¢ȱ ǰȱȱ¢ȱȱ¨ȱȱǻ Ǽǰȱ ǯȱLuis ȱ ħȱ ǰȱŗŚȬŖŗȮȱǰȱ ȱŗŝŖřřȬřŜŖǰȱ ǰȱǰȱ £ȱȱȬȱ ǻȓǯǯǼǯ 2 This study was supported by scholarships to M. C. Ferracioli (Programa Institucional de ȱȱ³¨ȱ Çęȱȱ ȱȱȱ ȱ Çęȱȱ-àǰȱ £Ǽȱȱǯȱ ǯȱ ȱǻ ³¨ȱȱ ȱ¥ȱȱȱ ȱȱ¨ȱ-ǰȱ £ȮȱǛŖŚȦŗŖŗşřȬŗǼȱȱȱȱȱǻ ³¨ȱȱȱ ȱ ȱȮȱǛŖŖşŖȦŗŖȬ ǼǯȱThe authors would like to thank M.Sc. Rodrigo Carvalho ǻ ·ȱ·ȱȱȃȱȱ¤ǰȄȱ¨ȱȱȱ¢ǰȱ ǰȱ £Ǽȱ for his technical support on constructing the video models, and Mrs. Marina Denardi for revising the manuscript.

3D feedback and observation for motor learning: Application to the roundoff movement in gymnastics

“…Surprisingly, movement execution did not improve significantly (though there was a trend) for the learners who were provided with a 3D demonstration showing the movement of the expert only. This result is somehow surprising because some studies have shown that displaying biological motion information (e.g., using point light demonstrations) is comparable to video demonstration (e.g., Rodrigues et al, 2010). And as mentioned above, when learners were provided with a video demonstration showing the movement of the expert, movement execution improved significantly.…”

“…assessments (e.g., Zetou, Tzetzis, Vernadakis, & Kioumourtzoglou, 2002;Kalapoda, Michalopoulou, Aggelousis, & Taxildaris, 2003;Rodrigues, Ferracioli, & Denardi, 2010). Surprisingly, movement execution did not improve significantly (though there was a trend) for the learners who were provided with a 3D demonstration showing the movement of the expert only.…”

Exploring the effect of realism at the cognitive stage of complex motor skill learning

“…However, low-prior knowledge learners may not know what relevant visuals to concentrate to learn. In a study on information salience that compared the learning process of using realistic versus point-light demonstration of ballet dance found that motor learning from point-light demonstration is quite sufficient (Rodrigues et al., 2010). Besides that, the degree of realism played no moderating roles in the effectiveness of dynamic visualisations (Imhof et al., 2011).…”

From Analog to Virtual: Visual Stylizations of Humanoid Characters Across Media

“…However, low prior knowledge learners may not know what to focus on when viewing realistic visuals. In a study on information salience that compared the learning process of using realistic versus point-light demonstrations of a ballet dance found that the motor learning from a pointlight demonstration was quite sufficient [5]. Besides that, the degree of realism plays no moderating role in the effectiveness of dynamic visualizations [6].…”