Research > Research Inventory > Cognitive-Motor Learning: Learning
The effect of visual and tactile information in motor preparation of climbing
Authors: Takahiro Sugi & Masami Ishihara | Year: 2022
Summary: The authors tested how pictures of one versus two holds, with or without briefly touching a real hold, affect reaction time (speed of button-press responses to arrows) in 15 climbers and 15 non-climbers. Seeing two holds slowed responses overall, non-climbers reacted faster when arrow and hold direction matched, and highly experienced climbers became slower after touching the hold, suggesting richer, more complex movement planning. Because this was a small lab task using arrows and switches rather than real climbing, the evidence mainly indicates how experience and touch shape route-preview processing.
Beta-angel note: the suggestion that touch activates more complex movement consideration is inferred rather than directly measured by the authors. Still, it points to a plausible experience-dependent mechanism: tactile input may trigger more detailed movement planning in experienced climbers, potentially because touch provides additional information about possible actions on the hold (or even further along the chain, although this is not directly suggested in the study). I want to thank the authors for a copy.
Reference: Eur J Sport Sci. 2023 Feb;23(2):251–258. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2021.2023654
Not Open Source: https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.2023654
What Makes Parkour Unique? A Narrative Review Across Miscellaneous Academic Fields
Authors: David Pagnon, Germain Faity, Galo Maldonado, Yann Daout, Sidney Grosprêtre | Year: 2022
Summary: This non-climbing narrative review pulled together social science and sport science studies to explain what sets parkour apart from traditional, rule-bound sports. The authors report that parkour practitioners (traceurs) tend to develop strong eccentric abilities, precise landing control, and environment-reading skills while mostly training on hard, irregular urban surfaces, yet overall injury rates appear comparable to many mainstream sports. Because most data are small-sample, lab-based, or qualitative, these results should be viewed as early suggestions that real-world, obstacle-based training can build impact management and adaptability in ways standard tests do not fully capture.
Beta-Angel note: For climbers, parkour’s focus on soft, accurate landings, forefoot impact absorption, and adapting jumps to awkward obstacles PARALLELS coordination on bad footholds, jumps between volumes, limb AND Center-of-Mass posture adjustment mid-flight, and “saving” slightly misjudged dynos—hinting that some of these flight, landing, and eccentric strategies could inspire new training for competition climbing. Nuggets: With takeoff, arm swing is crucial, but also helps orient in midflight. Further, orient (or shape) the center-of-mass midflight for a usable catch, and learn to decelerate (eccentric shockloads). Training can use late-resolution jumps, where the climber has to reorient just as they’re beginning to take off.
Reference: Pagnon D, Faity G, Maldonado G, Daout Y, Grosprêtre S. What Makes Parkour Unique? A Narrative Review Across Miscellaneous Academic Fields. Sports Medicine. 2022;52:1029–1042. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01642-x
Open Source: What Makes Parkour Unique? A Narrative Review Across Miscellaneous Academic Fields – Archive ouverte HAL
The Ecological Dynamics Framework: An Innovative Approach to Performance in Extreme Environments
Authors: Seifert L., Hacques G., Komar J. | Year: 2022
Summary: This review shows that climbers get better by learning how situations work, not by memorizing a single “right” movement. The authors use examples from climbing—like unstable hold structures, awkward volumes, and sudden shifts in wall angle—to explain how athletes build a toolbox of solutions rather than one specific “style” of movement or a “perfect” technique. They highlight that real gains come when practice forces climbers to notice more (holds, balance, timing), adapt faster, and switch strategies when a solution isn’t viable. Because most evidence is case-based, the value here is the training logic: build environments that teach adaptability, not choreography.
Beta-Angel note: One way to think of skill is having option density. The idea is high-level climbers don’t just move “better”—they see more ways to win and pivot between them under pressure. Training should deliberately create sessions where old solutions fail so new ones have to form. Tasks that destabilize a preferred solution—like forcing a faster/slower pace or placing a foot farther or closer than comfortable—improved how quickly athletes recalibrated when moves didn’t go as planned. Additionally, “representative practice” is a concept that suggests a new coaching metric: information bandwidth. Can coaches “dial” how much information exists in the environment so learning is not overwhelmed during early stages of skill acquisition, while still progressing toward the rich diversity of information present in real climbing contexts?
Reference: Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Feb 27;19(5):2753. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19052753
OPEN SOURCE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8910696
Boredom Proneness Predicts Self-Assessed Decision Errors in Sports but Is Unrelated to Risk Taking in General
Authors: Wolff W., Bieleke M., Keller L. | Year: 2022
Summary: This study examined whether easily bored athletes take more risks or simply make less stable decisions. Among 936 athletes—including 330 climbers—boredom proneness did not predict general risk taking, but boredom-prone climbers demanded less certainty before attempting a risky move and reported more regret about being overly bold and too passive. On a boredom scale, esports athletes scored highest, climbers sat in the middle, and snowboarders scored lowest, suggesting climbers are moderately boredom-prone. These patterns imply decision inconsistency rather than genuine risk preference, though the survey design limits causal claims.
Beta-Angel note: A climber who oscillates between over-committing and hesitating may not have a “risk style”—they may just be boredom-prone, which can mimic tactical inconsistency. Because boredom proneness correlates with lower skill, coaches might see tactical inconsistency as “fear” or “boldness,” when the underlying issue is attention drift—a misread that could change how you cue, design reps, or structure pacing during sessions.
Reference: Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Mar 15;19(6):3479. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19063479
OPEN SOURCE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8950886/
The Effect of Simulating Climbing Movements on Rock Memory and Exploratory Movement in Rock Climbing
Authors: Sugi T, Nițu AM, Ishihara M. | Year: 2022
Summary: This study tested whether imagining climbing movements during preview improves hold memory or changes how people move once on the wall. Simulated action didn’t help participants remember holds, but it did shift strategy: climbers explored more after imagery, while non-climbers explored less, especially those with weaker kinesthetic imagery. Because tasks used short, controlled traverses—not full route preview—the findings mainly show that imagery alters movement tendencies rather than visual recall.
Beta-Angel note: This study looked only at simulated movement during preview, not deliberate sequence memorization, which explains why imagery affected strategy but not “memory.” Imagery primed the action system, making experts increase exploration and novices reduce it. For coaching, beginners need imagery that encourages exploration, while advanced climbers benefit from imagery that sharpens variability—micro adjustments, alternative foothold options, force-angle testing, likely both on the ground and on the wall.
Reference: Percept Mot Skills. 2022;129(3):528–553. doi: 10.1177/00315125221093909
Not Open Source: https://doi.org/10.1177/00315125221093909
Limb Preference and Skill Level Dependence During the Imagery of a Whole-Body Movement
Authors: Wriessnegger SC, Unterhauser K, Bauernfeind G. | Year: 2022
Summary: The study looked at how climbers picture moves in their heads and compared brain activity between beginners and experts. Novices showed stronger and more widespread activation—especially in areas linked to the dominant hand—while experts used a smaller, tighter pattern, pointing to more efficient planning. Imagery leaned heavily on upper-limb control rather than feet, though the small group size and limits of near-infrared imaging make the findings preliminary.
Beta-Angel note: Beginners may “over-activate” during imagery, so short, focused mental reps of crux sections may work better than long run-throughs. Because imagery also skewed toward upper-limb control, coaches may want to cue explicit foot loading and balance in the script. Interesting to see another climbing paper leaning into neural efficiency and motor planning rather than movement behavior alone.
Reference: Front Hum Neurosci. 2022 Jun 6;16:900834. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2022.900834
OPEN SOURCE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9207184/
The Application of Transcranial Electrical Stimulation in Sports Psychology
Authors: Chang S. | Year: 2022
Summary: This paper explains how weak electrical currents to the brain (transcranial electrical stimulation) might help with motor control and psychological fatigue in sport, then builds a brain–computer model around rock climbers doing imagined climbing movements. In a single-blind lab study with ten active climbers imagining left- vs right-hand movements, both direct current and alternating current stimulation slightly improved how accurately a computer could tell which movement was being imagined, with direct current giving the biggest average gain. These are early, indirect data—changes in brain-signal classification during motor imagery rather than real climbing performance or psychological fatigue—so any practical use for climbers is still speculative.
Beta-Angel Note: Not your typical learning-oriented climbing paper. Interesting to see climbing framed through neural signal processing and motor imagery rather than ecological approaches alone. Perhaps there’s still room for information processing theory in climbing after all.
Reference: Comput Math Methods Med. 2022;2022:1008346. doi: 10.1155/2022/1008346
OPEN SOURCE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9300323/
Research in Sport Climbing
Authors: Künzell, S., Balas, J., España-Romero, V., Giles, D., & Legreneur, P. | Year: 2021
Summary/Results: This editorial summarizes research presented at the 2018 IRCRA Congress, integrating findings from 8 original studies and 3 short reports on climbing performance. Topics included motion tracking in speed climbing, perceptual and memory differences between on-sight and redpoint climbing, attentional skills, and grip regulation based on hold surface properties. Key findings include that climbers scale grip force based on perceived “grippiness” rather than just roughness, on-sight climbing places greater cognitive and physical demands than redpointing, and some evidence suggests elevated risk of disordered eating in elite female climbers.
Beta Angel note: This paper reinforces that perception-action coupling (how climbers interpret and act on hold properties) is central to performance, and that on-sight climbing is a distinct skill requiring specific cognitive and perceptual training.
Reference: Künzell, S., Balas, J., España-Romero, V., Giles, D., & Legreneur, P. (2021). Research in Sport Climbing. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 752617. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8492942/
Influence of On-Sight and Flash Climbing Styles on Advanced Climbers’ Route Completion for Bouldering
Authors: Morenas, J., del Campo, V. L., López-García, S., & Flores, L. | Year: 2021
Summary/Results: This study compared three previewing methods—no preview (on-sight), video of an expert climber, and live demonstration—and their effect on bouldering success. Twenty-one advanced boulderers (French grades 7b–7c+) each completed all three conditions across 18 problems (all graded 6c), with six problems per condition in a fixed (non-randomized) order. Live demonstration produced the highest success rate (61.1%), followed by video (42.9%) and on-sight (18.3%). Live demonstration increased the odds of topping by over 7 times compared to no preview.
Beta Angel note: This shows a clear performance advantage when climbers can observe solutions before attempting, supporting the idea that flash formats inherently favor later climbers who gain access to additional information.
Reference:
Morenas, J., del Campo, V. L., López-García, S., & Flores, L. (2021). Influence of On-Sight and Flash Climbing Styles on Advanced Climbers’ Route Completion for Bouldering. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(23), 12594. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8657215/
Increasing accuracy of rock-climbing techniques in novice athletes using expert modeling and video feedback
Authors: Walker, S. G., Mattson, S. L., & Sellers, T. P. | Year: 2020
Summary/Results:
This study tested whether expert video modeling (watching a skilled climber perform a move) combined with video and verbal feedback could improve the accuracy of basic climbing techniques in adult novices. Three participants (ages 20–29, one male and two females) were taught the drop knee, heel hook, and rear flag on short indoor routes. At baseline, performance accuracy was inconsistent and often low. After the intervention, all participants rapidly improved and reached mastery (defined as over 80% accuracy) within only a few sessions. These gains were retained for several weeks even after feedback stopped. Participants also reported the approach was clear, motivating, and helped them spot and fix mistakes.
Beta Angel note: The speed and durability of skill learning here show how powerful structured video feedback can be. For coaches, this suggests that even simple use of video review may dramatically accelerate technical progress in new climbers.
Reference:
Walker, S. G., Mattson, S. L., & Sellers, T. P. (2020). Increasing accuracy of rock-climbing techniques in novice athletes using expert modeling and video feedback. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339698082_Increasing_accuracy_of_rock-climbing_techniques_in_novice_athletes_using_expert_modeling_and_video_feedback
Action capability constrains visuo-motor complexity during planning and performance in on-sight climbing
Authors: van Knobelsdorff E, Seifert L, van Bergen R, Orth D, van der Kamp J. | Year: 2020
Summary/Results: This study explored how fingertip strength shapes visual and movement strategies in on-sight climbing. Twenty climbers attempted two horizontal traverses that increased in difficulty, while researchers tracked their eye movements and hip motion. The results showed a U-shaped pattern: climbers with moderate fingertip strength used the most complex visual and movement strategies, while both weaker and stronger climbers showed simpler, more repetitive behaviors. Moderately strong climbers needed to explore more visual options and adapt during movement—likely because the routes pushed their limits but remained possible. In contrast, very strong climbers climbed fluidly with minimal exploration, and weaker climbers fell early with little variation in behavior.
Beta-Angel note: Complexity here reflects a climber actively trying to solve problems near their physical limit. The moderate group wasn’t more skilled—they just had to do more work to succeed. That need to explore may also create prime conditions for motor learning.
Reference: Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2020 Dec;30(12):2483-2496. doi: 10.1111/sms.13789. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sms.13789
Expertise effects on the perceptual and cognitive tasks of indoor rock climbing
Authors: Whitaker et al. | Year: 2019
Summary/Results: Climbers took part in two experiments: the first experiment (14 males, 20 females) consisted of judging their own abilities with respect to a single move, and then trying and seeing how close their judgment matched reality. The authors found that more skilled climbers were better predictors of their ability to do isolated moves, but not necessarily better at judging reach, that more skilled and less skilled climbers were about the same in terms of predicted vs. rated ability of moves, and that more skilled climbers underestimated their abilities and less skilled climbers overestimated theirs. The second experiment (12 males, 8 females) attempted to assess judgment and performance potential across 12 routes, and remember entire sequences of those routes. While more skilled climbers were better in all ways than less skilled climbers at remembering larger sequences, this ability is domain specific to climbing, and may not transfer generally to memory of other, more general, non-climbing related visuo-spatial tasks. Beta-Angel note: evidence suggesting the relationship between climber perception and ability also extends to working memory of longer sequences. This may be the best description I’ve read of how perception, action, and memory link – specifically around understanding the properties of the wall IN RELATION TO one’s own potential for dealing with those properties, and remembering them. It is an experiment which builds off previous research from authors like Pijpers (1993), Boschker (2002), Pezzulo (2010), and Green (2011 & 2014). Interestingly, the authors interpret the perceptual-action elements of climbing as being “unique.”
Reference: Mem Cogn (2019).
https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13421-019-00985-7#article-info
Feasibility of a Kinect®-based rehabilitation strategy after burn injury.
Authors: Pham TN, Wong JN, Terken T, Gibran NS, Carrougher GJ, Bunnell A. | Year: 2018
Summary/Results: This study evaluated Jintronix games and therapy modules for burn patients using the Kinect platform. One of the modules was a climbing experience where burn patients had to move their hands and feet as if they were climbing a wall. Overall, participants reported an enjoyable experience. The climbing module was considered the most difficult. Beta-Angel note: we included this paper because the burn rehabilitation protocol involved climbing.
Reference: Burns. 2018 Dec;44(8):2080-2086.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30241787
Cognitive-Motor Learning > Learning
Venga!: climbing in mixed reality
Author: M. Tiator, C. Geiger, B. Dewitz, B. Fischer | Year: 2018
Summary/Results: Conference paper showing development of a “mixed reality” system that simulates climbing on a wall using virtual reality technology. Additionally, outside users can get involved in the virtual climber’s environment in order to facilitate the teaching and learning process. Beta-Angel note: article comes amid a spate of mixed/virtual/augmented reality papers on climbing including “Cliffhanger-VR” and “Exploring Rock Climbing in Mixed Reality Environments” and “ClimbVis: Investigating In-situ visualizations for Understanding Climbing Movements by Demonstration”
Reference: Conference Paper, July 2018 – First Superhuman Sports Design Challenge
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326133839_Venga_climbing_in_mixed_reality
Cognitive-Motor Learning > Learning
Cliffhanger-VR
Author: M. Tiator, B. Fischer, L. Gerhardt, D. Nowottnik | Year: 2018
Summary/Results: Researchers presented a virtual reality system they believe can facilitate mental training in climbers by simulating fear and anxiety. The authors note, however, that further research needs to be done to test whether the system causes an emotional response helpful to mental training for real rock climbing.
Reference: Conference Paper, March 2018 – IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327323679_Cliffhanger-VR
Cognitive-Motor Learning > Learning
Constraints representing a meta-stable régime facilitate exploration during practice and transfer of learning in a complex multi-articular task.
Author: D. Orth, K. Davids, L. Seifert | Year: 2018
Summary/Results: The authors were primarily interested in seeing how two indicators (hip exploration and hand exploration) of climbing efficiency were learned by lower grade level (5.9ish) and intermediate level (5.10b-ish) athletes after practice on 3 routes (horizontal edge, vertical edge, and dual-type edge). A “test” route appeared to be a valid way to test the transfer of skills after practice – lower level climbers appeared to transfer what they learned in both hip and hand exploration, while advanced climbers only appeared to transfer what they learned about hip exploration. Authors suggest this is likely due to distinctions in previous experience. Beta-Angel note: the authors suggest that giving climbers a “choice” of grabbing options may induce exploratory learning behavior which may improve hip fluency, but admit this will have to wait for future research.
Reference: Hum Mov Sci. 2018 Feb;57:291-302.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28923581
PDF: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/16936/1/Davids-ConstraintsRepresentingaMetaStable%28AM%29.pdf
Cognitive-Motor Learning > Learning
Affordance Realization in Climbing: Learning and Transfer.
Author: L. Seifert, D. Orth, B. Mantel, J. Boulanger, R. Hérault, M. Dicks | Year: 2018
Summary/Results: The authors of this study studied the effect of learning across three different types of hold orientations: a horizontal-edge route, a vertical-edge route, and a horizontal-with-vertical edge route, and then tested for the transfer of that learning to a route which had a mix of hold orientations. Several indicators of learning occurred, specifically less exploratory grasping and an increased perception of hold-usability, suggesting that learning did occur. However, learning and transfer appeared dependent on the complexity of the route, with improvement coming primarily on the horizontal-edge route, and did not appear to transfer particularly well on the non-horizontal hold sections. Beta-Angel note: the authors suggest that more sessions (there were four “practice” sessions) OR more variability in hold placement (they were placed in sections) than was done in their study may create better transfer of learning.
Reference: Front Psychol. 2018 Jun 12;9:949.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5985557/
Cognitive-Motor Learning > Learning
Behavioral Repertoire Influences the Rate and Nature of Learning in Climbing: Implications for Individualized Learning Design in Preparation for Extreme Sports Participation.
Author: D. Orth, K. Davids, JY Chow, E. Brymer, L. Seifert | Year: 2018
Summary/Results: The authors ran a study to see whether: (1) climbers who have more complex movement also have longer periods of being immobile while on the wall (likely in order to stabilize a third measurement: the jerkiness of the hips); and (2) the rates of the different efficiency measurements (movement complexity, immobility-to-mobility, and hip jerkiness) would plateau at different rates. The authors found that movement complexity and immobility did not necessarily go together, possibly because the climbers were too “practiced” at the route. The three indicators of efficiency did get better at different rates: hip jerkiness and movement complexity plateaued (ceased getting better) after 7 sessions, while immobility-to-mobility plateaued after 9 sessions. Beta-Angel note: the most important part of this study, however, comes from an analysis of individual variation. The authors basically contend that learning is dependent less on labels like “beginner” and more on the specific-skills identified prior to practice. In this case, whether a climber knew of the skillset to turn their hip into the wall prior to the experiment predicted whether they would find continuous improvement (knew skill) or sudden improvement (did not know skill). Arguably a landmark study in climbing synthesizing the dynamic between effectiveness (learning new movement patterns) and efficiency (becoming “better” at the patterns we know) with significant potential to inform the conversation around measuring the impact of technical interventions.
Reference: Front Psychol. 2018 Jun 12;9:949.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6006010/
Cognitive-Motor Learning > Learning
ClimbVis: Investigating In-situ Visualizations for Understanding Climbing Movements by Demonstration
Authors: Kosmalla et al. | Year: 2017
Summary/Results:
Reference: ISS ’17, October 17-20, 2017, Brighton, United Kingdom
Link to Research
Cognitive Motor-Learning > Learning
Exploring Rock Climbing in Mixed Reality Environments
Authors: Kosmalla et al. | Year: 2017
Summary/Results:
Reference: CHI 2017, May 6-11, 2017, Denver, CO, USA
Link to Research
Cognitive Motor-Learning > Learning
What variability tells us about motor expertise: measurements and perspectives from a complex system approach
AUTHOR: John Komar, Ludovic Seifert and Régis Thouvarecq | Year: 2015
SUMMARY/RESULTS: A theoretical discussion of movement using several methods associated with complex systems theory, and an approach to determining a climber’s range of movement. Conclusion suggests that experts display extreme individual range of movement based on their own unique body and mind and that this is better than performing a predetermined motor pattern which may not work for an individual. Researchers suggest enhancing individual range of movement during the learning process to enhance adaptability and performance.
REFERENCE: Movement & Sport Sciences – Science & Motricité 89, 65–77 (2015)
http://www.mov-sport-sciences.org/articles/sm/pdf/2015/03/sm150020.pdf
The “Function-to-Flow” model: An interdisciplinary approach to assessing movement within and beyond the context of climbing
AUTHOR: R. Lloyd | Year: 2015
SUMMARY/RESULTS: Lloyd used interviews, journal entries, and observational analysis to evaluate the Function-to-Flow (F2F) interdisciplinary curriculum support tool in 153 students participating in a climbing program. Lloyd suggests that the F2F model can help expand on isolated movement patterns typical of traditional physical education programs by helping students to understand how to break down movement into muscular “function”, desired “form”, kinesthetic “feeling”, and the experience of “flow”.
REFERENCE: Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, v20 n6 p571-592 2015
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1075090
Virtual and “real-life” wall/rock climbing: motor movement comparisons and video gaming pedagogical perceptions
AUTHOR: SE Jenny, DP Schary | Year: 2015
SUMMARY/RESULTS: Researchers attempted to determine whether a video game (Xbox One’s Kinect Sports Rivals Rock Climbing) would be useful when trying to teach actual (real) climbing movement. Researchers found that the video game was helpful with respect to climbing tactics/strategies and arm movements, but different with respect to effort and leg use, finger and grip use, and jumping movement, suggesting to the authors that caution should be taken in comparisons of video game climbing and “authentic climbing”.
REFERENCE: Journal of Sports Technology, Vol. 8, Issue 3-4 (2015)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19346182.2015.1118110?journalCode=rtec20
Hold design supports learning and transfer of climbing fluency
AUTHOR: D. Orth, K. Davids, L. Seifert | Year: 2014
SUMMARY/RESULTS: Orth et al. measured the direction of the hips to determine whether a route with either (a) holds that had only one side to grab, or (b) holds with multiple sides to grab, would be more effective toward learning. The researchers suggest that making multiple possible ways of grabbing a hold will induce more learning than situations in which only one way to grab a hold is possible.
REFERENCE: Journal of Sports Technology, Vol. 7, Issue 3-4, (2014)
http://shura.shu.ac.uk/10171/1/Orth_et_al_IRCRC_abstract_Hold_design_supports_transfer_of_climbing_fluidity_subUPLOAD.pdf
A constraints-based approach to the acquisition of expertise in outdoor adventure sports*
AUTHORS: K. Davids, E. Brymer, L. Seifert, D. Orth | Year: 2013
SUMMARY/RESULTS: Researchers examined the use of a “constraints-based framework” for adventure sports, which suggests that learning occurs as a result of an interaction between the learner and their environment. This framework suggests that expert athletes need to experience the environment in order to understand the best way to interact with it and that both learners and teachers can best help this process by manipulating the environment to promote the emergence of the learner’s individualized movement response rather than forcing imitation of “expert” behaviors. Beta-Angel note: And that’s why route-setters make the big bucks…
REFERENCE: Complex Systems in Sport. Book Chapter, Routledge. 2013
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262301212_A_Constraints-Based_Approach_to_the_Acquisition_of_Expertise_in_Outdoor_Adventure_Sports
Skill transfer, affordances and dexterity in different climbing environments
Author: L. Seifert, L. Wattebled, M. L’Hermette, G. Bideault, R. Herault, K. Davids | Year: 2013
Summary/Results: In a foundational study, researchers looked at how existing skillsets (rock climbing) transfer to new, overlapping environments (ice climbing) by studying how participants with different levels of rock climbing experience handled ice climbing. The authors found three characteristics of skill transfer: (1) better rock climbers had better ice climbing movement efficiency, (2) better rock climbers could identify more effective ice climbing opportunities, and (3) better rock climbers showed a larger range of inter-limb coordination patterns and angular locations of limbs, suggesting a greater range of freedom in exploring the environment. However, some ice climbing skill sets were not transferred much, if at all. Beta-Angel note: it should be noted that this has broader implications beyond transfer to ice climbing. The researchers were testing adaptability and as such ice climbing represented a new, novel environment. However, this article has potential implications for existing skill transfer to new types of rock climbing.
Reference: Human Movement Science 32 (2013) 1339-1352
https://www.academia.edu/28619980/Skill_transfer_affordances_and_dexterity_in_different_climbing_environments
Inexperienced sport climbers might perceive and utilize new opportunities for action by merely observing a model
AUTHORS: MS Boschker, FC Bakker | Year: 2002
SUMMARY/RESULTS: Researchers set out to test whether watching an experienced climber enables less experienced climbers to perform better using video models. Boschker and Bakker suggest that the less experienced climbers were able to use the video of experienced climbers to improve their own speed and fluency in climbing, as measured by the amount of movement in the less experienced climbers’ center of gravity. Beta-Angel Note: Orth, Kerr, Davids, and Seifert (2017) suggested that the utility of this study is in suggesting that (1) prior knowledge of advanced limb coordination techniques is useful for beginners, and (2) practice of less advanced techniques improved climbing fluency (GIE) similarly to advanced techniques.
REFERENCE: Percept Mot Skills. 2002 Aug;95(1):3-9.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12365268
Entropy as a global variable of the learning process
Author: P. Cordier, MM France, J. Pailhous, B. Bolon | Year: 1994
Summary/Results: The study’s authors looked at how entropy (defined as movement of the center of mass from an ‘ideal’ trajectory for the route) differs between expert and non-expert climbers on a trial of 10 routes in a row. The study’s authors found that experts stabilize their climbing entropy by trial 3 while non-experts stabilize their climbing entropy by trial 6 (of 10). Beta-Angel note: from a practical standpoint, this both (1) suggests that climbers should do routes multiple times while perfecting climbing fluency, and (2) suggests a set of parameters for the number of repeat attempts on a route based on ability level in order to improve climbing economy. As a side note, this paper is also a foundational treatise on how we learn as climbers.
Reference: Human Movement Sciene 13 (1994) 745-763
http://www.academia.edu/27495550/Entropy_as_a_global_variable_of_the_learning_process
Thermodynamic study of motor behavior optimization
AUTHORS: P. Cordier, MM France, P. Bolon, J. Pailhous | Year: 1994
SUMMARY/RESULTS: See: Entropy, degrees of freedom, and free climbing: a thermodynamic study of a complex behavior based on trajectory analysis.
REFERENCE: Acta Biotheoretica September 1994, Volume 42, Issue 2–3, pp 187–201
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00709490
Entropy, degrees of freedom, and free climbing: a thermodynamic study of a complex behavior based on trajectory analysis
AUTHORS: P. Cordier, MM France, B. Bolon, J. Pailhous | Year: 1993
SUMMARY/RESULTS: Researchers measured the “geometric entropy” of movement (defined as movement of the center of mass from an ‘ideal’ trajectory for the route) on three average climbers and four skilled climbers over 10 successive tries of a moderate climb. Cordier et al. showed that entropy decreases as learning progresses. Beta-Angel note: see “Thermodynamic study of motor behavior optimization” for more by the same authors.
REFERENCE: International Journal of Sport Psychology 1993 Vol.24 No.4 pp.370-378 ref.13
https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19941800912 and https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232447992_Entropy_degrees_of_freedom_and_free_climbing_A_thermodynamic_study_of_a_complex_behavior_based_on_trajectory_analysis