Open and closed loop control

Overview

Motor programmes, the input, executive, effector and output stages of open loop control, what closed loop control adds, beginners and experts, kinaesthesis, the tennis serve and a footballer dribbling through cones.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is a motor programme?

   Model answer

   A motor programme is a stored sequence of movements held in long-term memory. The programme can run as one unit to produce a skill.

2. 2

   Name the four stages of an open loop control model.

   Model answer

   The four stages are input, executive system, effector system and output. Open loop control uses no feedback during the movement.

3. 3

   What happens in the executive system?

   Model answer

   The executive system is the brain's decision-making centre. The executive system selects a response and sends the motor programme to the muscles.

4. 4

   What is the effector system?

   Model answer

   The effector system is the motor nerves and muscles that carry out the movement. The effector system turns the motor programme into action.

5. 5

   What is input in a motor control model?

   Model answer

   Input is information taken in from the display through the senses. A goalkeeper's input includes the flight of the ball and the striker's run-up.

6. 6

   What does closed loop control add to the open loop model?

   Model answer

   Closed loop control adds feedback during the movement. The feedback is compared with a stored model so errors can be corrected mid-action.

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