Foundations of Human Motor Development

Basic Considerations in Motor Development

• Reasons to study human motor development.
• The areas or domains of behavior.
• The question of stages, phases, or periods.
• The problem of terminology.
• The question of heredity and environment.
• Research in the study of motor development.

Learning Objectives

• Argue cases for the study of motor development.
• Discriminate between various areas of behavior.
• Analyze the different stages or periods of evolutionary development.
• Define the specific terms of the study.
• Distinguish the influence of heredity and environment.
• Analyze human research procedures.

The Science of Human Development

Motor development is an autonomous, specific, and integrated area within the Science of Human Development. It is considered a subsystem within the broader "Human Development" system.

Experts from various fields—including genetics, psychology, and psychiatry—contribute to this field, moving from a multidisciplinary perspective to a truly interdisciplinary approach.

Interdisciplinary Fields of Study

Human development is supported by various disciplines:

• Biology and Genetics
• Psychology and Psychiatry
• Embryology and Auxology
• Education and Sociology
• Anthropology and Physics

Why Study Human Motor Development?

• Evolutionary Processes: To encourage a widespread understanding of human evolutionary and involutive processes.
• Application: To enable the generalization and application of findings to practical scenarios.
• Evaluation: To evaluate human behavior more effectively.
• Research: To provide theoretical orientations for professionals and promote future research.

Domains of Human Behavior

Human conduct is characterized by the interaction and juxtaposition of several key domains: affective, cognitive, social, and psychomotor.

Methodological Definitions of Domains

• Affective Domain: Concerns the emotions and feelings of human beings.
• Social Domain: Examines the effect of society, institutions, and groups on individual development.
• Cognitive Domain: The study of knowledge, thought processes, and language.
• Psychomotor Domain: Focuses on body movements and the monitoring of human movement, both global and fine (Singer, 1972).