The OPTIMAL Theory
Introduction[edit | edit source]
As is discussed in more detail here, there is increasing evidence that motor learning principles can help to enhance skill acquisition and motor learning.[1] When utilising motor learning principles in clinical practice, interventions are designed to promote long-term improvements in performance that result in learning. Physiotherapists create practice situations (e.g. variable vs constant, random vs blocked etc) and provide appropriate feedback (e.g. concurrent, summary, faded, bandwidth etc) in order to enhance the degree and the type of learning that occurs.[2]
As Wulf and Lewthwaite state, these factors are significant, but current approaches to motor learning do not consider recent evidence that highlights the importance of motivation and attention on performance and learning.[3] The factors that impact motor learning have been almost exclusively explored from a “motivationally neutral information-processing perspective.”[3]
Based on this gap in the literature, Wulf and Lewthwaite developed the OPTIMAL Theory of motor learning, which can be used to harness patient motivation. OPTIMAL is an acronym, which stands for Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning.[3]
The OPTIMAL Theory[edit | edit source]
The OPTIMAL Theory builds on the various social, cognitive, affective and motor components of motor behaviour. It focuses primarily on learning “how” to achieve coordinated or skillful control of movement rather than focusing on skills that have strong cognitive features.[3]
A key tenant of the OPTIMAL Theory is that a learner’s motivational and attentional needs must be met, or not jeopardised, in order to optimise learning.[3] Thus, the aim is to:[2]
- Strengthen a patient’s goal-oriented actions
- Bring about skilled quality of movement
Wulf and Lewthwaite refer to the combination of these two areas as goal-action coupling.[3] Essentially, goal-action coupling is a combination of the goal (i.e. what the learner wants to do) and how skillful movement can be used to achieve the goal.[2]
- ↑ Sattelmayer M, Elsig S, Hilfiker R, Baer G. A systematic review and meta-analysis of selected motor learning principles in physiotherapy and medical education. BMC Med Educ. 2016; 16(15).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bisson T. The OPTIMAL Theory Course. Physioplus, 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Wulf G, Lewthwaite R. Optimizing performance through intrinsic motivation and attention for learning: The OPTIMAL theory of motor learning. Psychon Bull Rev. 2016 Oct;23(5):1382-1414.
