Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow Research has established that the learning of motor skills is specific. This applies also to perceptual-motor movement since perception is involved in all voluntary movement except reflex action. Visual perception is very important in motor learning but information can be received through the channels of sound, touch, smell, taste and awareness of body position. In complex motor activity, the senses are used in an integrated manner. In the game of basketball, for instance, players use vision to shoot a basket, sound to hear the referees touch to feel the ball and kinesthetic sense to recognise their body position in relation to other players and the basket. Effective control of the visual system depends on Visual acuity - the ability to see the objects clearly; Perceptual constancy - the ability to determine the difference if any, in size, shape and colour of the object; Depth perception - the ability to have awareness of the distance between objects; visual tracking - the ability to perceive a moving object. Auditory, similar to visual perception consists of subskills and there is Awareness - ability to indicate that there is a sound or not; Discrimination - ability to discriminate between different tones and frequencies of sounds; Direction - the ability to determine the direction from which sound is coming and Figure-ground the ability to distinguish a specific sound from other noises occurring at the same time. In the kinesthetic system instead of using an eye or ear to receive information the kinesthetic system utilizes proprioceptors located in joints. Three skills closely related to kinesthetic perception are Balance the ability of the individual to position the body in response to gravity; Body awareness refers to an understanding of the body in space and laterality - the ability to distinguish between the two sides (left and right) of the body.
Recognizing the teacher's whistle from among voices in a physical education class is depending on a specific auditory perception and that is
Figure-ground
Understanding Auditory Perception Skills in Physical Education
The passage discusses how various senses contribute to motor skill learning, including perceptual-motor movement. It details the subskills involved in different sensory systems like visual, auditory, and kinesthetic perception.
Specifically, the passage breaks down auditory perception into several key subskills that help individuals process sounds in their environment. These subskills are essential for activities where responding to sound cues is important, such as in sports or physical education classes.
Auditory Perception Subskills Explained
According to the passage, auditory perception involves the following abilities:
- Awareness: This is the basic ability to simply notice whether a sound is present or not.
- Discrimination: This subskill involves being able to tell the difference between different sounds based on their tones, frequencies, or other characteristics. For example, distinguishing a high-pitched sound from a low-pitched one.
- Direction: This is the ability to figure out where a sound is coming from. Knowing if a sound is coming from your left, right, front, or back.
- Figure-ground: This is the ability to pick out a specific sound that you want to focus on from other background noises happening at the same time. It's like isolating one sound from a noisy environment.
Applying Auditory Skills to the Question
The question asks about recognizing the teacher's whistle specifically from among other sounds, like voices, in a physical education class. This situation describes a scenario where multiple sounds are present, and the listener needs to focus on and identify one particular sound (the whistle) while tuning out the background noise (voices).
Based on the definitions provided in the passage:
- Discrimination would help tell the difference between a whistle sound and a voice sound if heard in isolation or sequentially. However, the core challenge described is hearing the whistle *among* the voices.
- Direction would help determine where the whistle sound is coming from, but not how to distinguish it from other sounds simultaneously.
- Awareness simply notes that there are sounds present (whistle and voices).
- Figure-ground is specifically defined as the ability to distinguish a specific sound from other noises occurring at the same time.
Therefore, the ability needed to recognize the teacher's whistle from among voices in a physical education class directly aligns with the definition of the Figure-ground subskill of auditory perception.
Why Figure-Ground is the Correct Auditory Perception Skill
The situation described in the question is a classic example of an auditory figure-ground task. The whistle acts as the "figure" (the sound you need to focus on), and the voices and other class noises act as the "ground" (the background sounds). The brain uses the figure-ground ability to filter out the ground and isolate the figure.
Let's consider why the other options are less suitable:
- Discrimination would be useful if you were asked to compare the sound of a whistle to the sound of a voice in a quiet setting, but it doesn't fully capture the challenge of ignoring simultaneous noise.
- Direction helps locate the source, not separate it from background noise.
- Body awareness is part of the kinesthetic system, dealing with your body's position and movement, not auditory processing.
Thus, recognizing the teacher's whistle among other voices relies on the auditory Figure-ground perception skill as defined in the passage.
| Auditory Subskill | Description (from Passage) | Relevance to Question |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Ability to indicate that there is a sound or not | Needed to know there are sounds, but not specific enough. |
| Discrimination | Ability to discriminate between different tones and frequencies of sounds | Helps tell sounds apart, but not specifically in background noise. |
| Direction | The ability to determine the direction from which sound is coming | Helps locate the source, not distinguish from background noise. |
| Figure-ground | The ability to distinguish a specific sound from other noises occurring at the same time | Directly matches the ability to pick out the whistle from voices. |
Revision Table: Auditory Perception Subskills
| Subskill | Key Function |
|---|---|
| Awareness | Detecting the presence of sound. |
| Discrimination | Telling sounds apart based on characteristics. |
| Direction | Identifying where a sound comes from. |
| Figure-ground | Isolating a sound from background noise. |
Additional Information: Perceptual-Motor Skills and Sensory Integration
The passage highlights that motor skill learning is specific and often involves perceptual-motor movement. This means that performing actions requires processing information received through our senses. The example of basketball shows how different senses work together – vision, sound, touch, and kinesthetic sense – in a complex motor activity. This integration of sensory information is crucial for effective movement and learning.
Understanding these individual perceptual skills, like the auditory subskills discussed, helps us appreciate the complex processes involved in everyday activities and sports. Deficiencies in specific subskills can impact performance. For example, poor auditory Figure-ground ability might make it difficult for a student to follow verbal instructions in a noisy environment like a gym.
Beyond auditory perception, the passage also touches upon visual perception subskills (acuity, perceptual constancy, depth perception, visual tracking) and kinesthetic perception subskills (balance, body awareness, laterality). All these systems contribute uniquely to our ability to interact with our environment and learn physical tasks. Learning involves not just practicing the physical movement but also developing the perceptual abilities needed to execute it effectively based on sensory input.
Important Questions from Miscellaneous
A stone is thrown horizontally from the top of a 20 m high building with a speed of 12 m/s. It hits the ground at a distance R from the building. Taking g = 10 m/s2 and neglecting air resistance will give :
A sphere of volume V is made of a material with lower density than water. While on Earth, it floats on water with its volume f1V (f1 < 1) submerged. On the other hand, on a spaceship accelerating with acceleration a < g (g is the acceleration due to gravity on Earth) in outer space, its submerged volume in water is f2V. Then:
A railway wagon (open at the top) of mass M1 is moving with speed v1 along a straight track. As a result of rain, after some time it gets partially filled with water so that the mass of the wagon becomes M2 and speed becomes v2. Taking the rain to be falling vertically and the water stationery inside the wagon, the relation between the two speeds v1 and v2 is :
Consider the following statements:
1. Distance between the longitudes becomes zero on North Pole and South Pole.
2. Distance between the longitudes is maximum on the Equator.
3. Number of longitudes is more than number of latitudes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
One block of 2⋅0 kg mass is placed on top of another block of 3⋅0 kg mass. The coefficient of static friction between the two blocks is 0⋅2. The bottom block is pulled with a horizontal force F such that both the blocks move together without slipping. Taking acceleration due to gravity as 10 m/s2, the maximum value of the frictional force is :
