{"id":7208,"date":"2019-05-22T15:54:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-22T15:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lancaster.ac.uk\/fas\/psych\/glossary\/action\/"},"modified":"2019-07-18T14:30:59","modified_gmt":"2019-07-18T14:30:59","slug":"action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lancaster.ac.uk\/fas\/psych\/glossary\/action\/","title":{"rendered":"Action"},"content":{"rendered":"
A goal-directed behavior,\u00a0consisting of different movement components, that are carried out\u00a0intentionally or under voluntary control. \u00a0Thus, an action is\u00a0goal-directed while a movement is not. \u00a0An example is reaching and\u00a0grasping movements in a prehensile action. \u00a0Moreover, in action there are variable means to the same end state. \u00a0Actually, two generally\u00a0classes can be identified: exploratory (or investigative) actions and\u00a0performatory (or executive) actions. \u00a0Infants initially generate\u00a0exploratory actions, perhaps by a process of trial-and-error learning, and from\u00a0which emerge performatory actions. \u00a0Thus, there is a developmental\u00a0transition from only exploratory actions to both exploratory and performatory\u00a0actions. \u00a0The gist of the distinction between action and movement was\u00a0nicely captured by D.W. Hamlyn<\/a> in 1953, when he wrote: “With movements\u00a0we are concerned with physical phenomena, the laws concerning which are in\u00a0principle derivable from the laws of physics. \u00a0But the behaviour which we\u00a0call ‘posting a letter’ or ‘kicking a ball’ involves a very complex series of\u00a0movements, and the same movements will not be exhibited on all occasions on\u00a0which we should describe the behaviour in the same way. \u00a0No fixed criteria\u00a0can be laid down which will enable us to decide what series of movements shall\u00a0constitute ‘posting a letter.’ Rather we have learnt to interpret a varying\u00a0range of movements as coming up to the rough standard which we observe in\u00a0acknowledging a correct description of such behaviour as posting a letter.” (Behaviour.\u00a0Philosophy<\/span>,\u00a028, 134-135). \u00a0Anton Chekov<\/a> (1860-1904) captured another essence of the relationship between action and movement when he wrote the following in a letter to Maxim Gorky<\/a> (1868-1936): “When a man spends the least possible of movements over the some definite action, that is grace.” (January 3, 1899).<\/div>\n
See Ability<\/a>, Action sequences<\/a>, Action theory<\/a>, Action words<\/a>, Agentic processes<\/a>, Constraint<\/a>, Coordination<\/a>, Developmental dyspraxia<\/a>, Displacement activities<\/a>, Exploration<\/a>, Motor ability<\/a>, Motor control<\/a>, Motor development<\/a>, Motor equivalence<\/a>, Motor skill<\/a>, Movement<\/a>, Movement (or motor) coordination<\/a>, Perception-action coupling<\/a>, Praxis<\/a>, Skill (general)<\/a>, Transition<\/a>,\u00a0Trial-and-error learning<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A goal-directed behavior,\u00a0consisting of different movement components, that are carried out\u00a0intentionally or under voluntary control. \u00a0Thus, an action is\u00a0goal-directed while a movement is not. \u00a0An example is reaching and\u00a0grasping movements in a prehensile action. \u00a0Moreover, in action there are variable means to the same end state. \u00a0Actually, two generally\u00a0classes can be identified: exploratory (or investigative) … <\/p>\n

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