Articles
Universal glossary of terms for human motor development: implementation of the specialized lexicography approach
Glosario universal de términos sobre desarrollo motor humano: aplicación del acercamiento lexicográfico especializado
Maria Morera-Castro1*
Nadia Cristina Castro2
Mary E. Rudisill Castro3
Judith Jiménez-Castro4
1 Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica.
2 Universidade Federal do Rio Grane do Sul, Brasil.
3 Auburn University, Estados Unidos.
4 Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this article is to create a specialized glossary of terms on human motor development for universal application through a lexicographic approach. This specialized glossary defines terms or jargon in the field of motor development, allowing students, researchers, or professionals in the health sciences or areas related to human movement to access definitions of terms that may be used or translated incorrectly. The intention in creating this glossary was to facilitate communication and understanding of specialized knowledge across languages. Methodology: Two ways of presenting the lexicography were selected. The first was by thematic cluster, and the second was by alphabetical order, with each word in three languages: Spanish, English, and Portuguese. These key terms selected are the most commonly used in the undergraduate motor development courses taught by the authors for more than ten years, as well as among professionals in the field. It was concluded that this glossary provides a digital reference document and addresses the need for defined specialized definitions in the area of motor development to avoid misunderstandings and the inadequate interpretations of knowledge.
Keywords: Human movement, motricity, information sources, terminology, education.
Resumen
Objetivo: El propósito de este artículo es crear un glosario especializado de términos de aplicación universal en el desarrollo motor humano a través de un enfoque lexicográfico. Este glosario especializado define términos o jergas en el campo del desarrollo motor, lo que permite al estudiantado, personas investigadoras o profesionales en las ciencias de la salud o áreas afines al movimiento humano acceder a definiciones de términos que pueden utilizarse o traducirse incorrectamente. La intención al crear este glosario fue facilitar la comunicación y el entendimiento del conocimiento especializado a través de los idiomas. Metodología: Se seleccionaron dos formas de presentar la lexicografía. La primera fue por clúster temático y la segunda por orden alfabético, con cada palabra en tres idiomas: español, inglés y portugués. Estos términos clave seleccionados son los más utilizados en los cursos de grado de desarrollo motor impartidos por las autoras durante más de diez años, así como entre las personas profesionales en el área. Se concluyó que este glosario proporciona un documento digital de referencia y aborda la necesidad de definir términos especializados en el desarrollo motor para evitar equivocaciones e interpretaciones inadecuadas del conocimiento.
Palabras clave: Movimiento humano, motricidad, fuentes de información, terminología, educación.
Introduction
In recent years, advancements in technology have significantly impacted communication, information dissemination, and intellectual collaboration on a global scale. These developments have enabled connectivity and collaboration across geographical, linguistic, and cultural boundaries, resulting in profound transformations in social and educational arenas. With increased collaborative opportunities and the wealth of shared knowledge around the world, the need for standardized terminology is greatly needed.
For instance, the Brussels Declaration for International Terminology Cooperation emphasizes the importance of nations, international organizations, governmental and non-governmental entities, and all stakeholders in language policy to support efforts aimed at increasing awareness and developing terminologies. These efforts should facilitate the proper use of terminologies across all levels of education, including specialized higher education, ultimately leading to the harmonization and standardization of language variants within or between languages (European Association for Terminology, 2002).
Previous work has addressed specialized terminology within the human movement sciences. For instance, Rey and Canales (2007) engaged in an epistemological discussion on motricity science. Herrera (2008) utilized a phenomenological approach to study corporeity and motricity. Bravo-Valenzuela et al. (2013) developed a glossary for health promotion in higher education. Furthermore, a series of articles have been published to establish standardized terminology for overload strength exercises in Spanish, English, and Catalan versions (Cos Morera, Porta Manceñido, and Carreras Villanova, 2011; Cos Morera, and Irurtia Amigó, 2011; Cos Morera, Marina Evrard, and Puerta Manceñido, 2011; Cos Morera, Carreras Villanova, Cos y Morera, and Medina Leal, 2011). In 2018, the Specialized Thesaurus in Human Movement Sciences, known as TECMH, was created. It contains 3873 standardized terms organized into 16 thematic categories for use in various libraries, documentation centers and information centers. Within this database, 162 descriptors specifically focus on motor behavior (Víquez, 2018; Víquez Gamboa, 2017). Additionally, a literature review by Jiménez-Díaz and Morera-Castro (2018) discussed different practice designs that can enhance skill acquisition and performance optimization. Jiménez-Díaz (2020) provided a comprehensive review of the literature on motor behavior regarding the types of feedback for enhancing motor skill learning and performance. Additionally, Mirallas Sariola (2022) authored a book focused on terminological vocabulary in physical education and sports science.
While authors have made strides in defining terminology in the human movement sciences, there remains a noticeable gap in the availability of a comprehensive glossary of technical terminology that facilitates a clear understanding within the area of motor development around the world. This resource would enable accurate use of terminology for vocational training of students across different languages, as well as provide a valuable reference for health professionals (clinicians and researchers), and parents interested in motor development field.
Method
The specialized lexicographical approach was used in this article to address various lexicographical discrepancies related to the use and translation of specialist terminology found in a variety of documents, including books, articles, protocols, assessments, and other academic and scientific documents in multiple languages such as English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Due to differences in meaning and application of these specialized terms, complications have arisen regarding the disciplinary approach, with specific communication problems or misunderstandings during the process of communication in educational and professional settings and its discursive properties.
In order to select the terms, a variety of sources related to motor development, motor control, motor learning, and perception and sensations were consulted (Gabbard, 2023; Goodway et al., 2019; Graham et al., 2020; Haibach-Beach et al., 2024; Haywood & Getchell, 2025; Magill & Anderson, 2024; Mather, 2022; Payne & Issacs, 2025; Schmidt & Lee, 2025; Schmidt et al., 2019; Schwartz & Krantz, 2023; Spittle, 2022; Wolfe et al., 2024).
Subsequently, the authors convened to select the terms to be included in this article, with particular emphasis on those terms where the greatest discrepancies were identified. To establish linguistic equivalents, the initial step was to translate all terms into English, the common language of all the authors who are specialists in this field. Consequently, the authors provided the linguistic equivalents in Spanish and Portuguese, based on their native languages.
The glossary encompasses a total of 94 terms. The terms are presented in two formats: firstly, they are grouped into thematic clusters and secondly, an alphabetically listed with each term has the word in Spanish, English, and Portuguese languages for a sense ordering and differentiation.
For the process and organization of cluster terminology, a synthetic analytical rational method was used. This method involves analyzing the various components and creating connections and defining key characteristics between the terms selected (Rodríguez Jiménez & Pérez Jacinto, 2017) for an entry structure, including seven cluster: disciplinary areas of interest, concepts related to movement, concepts related to movement performance, concepts related to movement performance, concepts related to perceptions, concepts related to awareness, and concepts related to movement planning.
Each cluster includes specific terms, and instead of definitions, due to the experiences of the authors in education settings, a brief conceptual explanation was provided for each term so that no matter what native language this person has, they can make a correct use of the term according to their needs. These brief conceptual explanations were either directly translated, contextualized and improved upon theoretical and practical insights. And were reviewed by professionals in formal and informal educational settings where the glossary was previously implemented for several years, in the training of higher education students and professionals or in the education of parents and people interested in the development of human beings.
The 94 terms were arranged in alphabetical order. Each word included the term in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. Each term will be separated by a slash (/) for better identification, using different font styles. Spanish terms will be presented in bold font style, English terms in italic font, and Portuguese terms in standard font. If there are multiple applicable terms (equivalent) in the same language, it will be indicated with the conjunction o/or/ou.
It is suggested that both formats can be used as a permanent reference guide by individuals in educational, academic, and professional contexts who consult literature in different languages related to human motor development, motor learning, motor control, physical education, human development, and related fields such as psychology and education. As the world has changed and the advancements in technology continue raising, awareness to ensure the proper use of specialized terms is necessary to ensure the traceability and equivalence in multiple languages of knowledge within the discipline.
In order to facilitate a better implementation, individuals with a professional background in the field are encouraged to identify, in the format of alphabetic order, the term in their native language and thereafter to locate and learn the equivalent term in the other languages. If further refresher training is required, professionals are advised to refer to the brief conceptual explanations in the cluster glossary section.
It is recommended that students and novices in this field study the glossary by cluster first in order to facilitate a more profound comprehension of the terminology. Following this, the alphabetic order section should be consulted in order to become acquainted with the specific terminology used in each language.
Results
Disciplinary areas of interest
Motor learning: is the field of study that examines the processes related to learning, performance, and skill enhancement through practice or experience, resulting in enduring changes.
Motor behavior: science that studies the principles of human movement through behavioral analysis.
Motor control: science that studies the neuro-physical aspects and their relationship to how humans control movements.
Motor development: is a field of research that examines the evolution of human motor behavior throughout the lifespan, including the underlying processes and factors that may impact these changes.
Concepts related to movement
Movements: are specific actions involving one or more joints that result in a motor action.
Reflex movements: is an involuntary motor response to sensory stimuli such as sound, light, touch, and body position. Reflexes typically manifest in infants from birth to around two years of age before becoming voluntary movements.
Rudimentary movements: are essential for human movement, encompassing postural control, locomotion, and manual dexterity. These skills typically develop between the ages of 4-5 months to around 3 years. They include tasks such as extending arms and elbows, controlling the neck, head, and trunk, rocking side to side, rolling over, standing, sitting, crawling, creeping, kneeling, walking, reaching, grasping, and releasing objects. There are two terms related to this group that are commonly misused, those are:
-Crawl: is a motor action that involves moving the body forward in a prone position, predominantly using the arms for locomotion while keeping the stomach and body in contact with the floor.
-Creep: is the motor action that consists of moving the body horizontally by utilizing hands and knees while keeping the stomach and body elevated off the floor.
Motor skills: are motor actions or movements that necessitate voluntary coordination of joints and body segments to accomplish a desired result. Motor skills can be acquired, enhanced, or regained through practice and experience.
Skills related to environmental stability include motor actions categorized by the stability of the environment in which they are executed. This classification encompasses both open skills and closed skills.
-Open skills: motor actions performed in dynamic environments where the stability of the context is constantly shifting, and typically involve movement and interactions with surfaces, objects, or individuals.
-Closed skills: motor actions performed in a controlled and stable environment, and typically involve interactions with various elements such as surfaces, objects, or individuals.
Motor skills can be categorized based on the starting and ending points of the movement. These categories include continuous, discrete, and serial skills.
-Continuous skill: repetitive or cyclical physical movements without a specified starting or ending point, such as running, cycling, or swimming.
-Discrete skill: performing precise motor actions with a distinct beginning and end point, such as pressing a piano key.
-Serial skills: involve a collection of distinct skills, such as proficiency in playing a musical instrument.
Fundamental motor skills: are motor actions that exhibit specific, observable patterns and serve as the building blocks for more sophisticated movements, such as locomotion, manipulation, and non-locomotor skills.
-Locomotor skills: are motor actions that enable individuals to transition from one location to another. These actions encompass a variety of activities such as walking, running, jumping, hopping, sliding, galloping, rolling, skipping, quadruped movement, crawling, creeping, leaping, climbing, and other related movements. There are three locomotor skills that are important to clarify:
▪ Hopping: is the motor action that enables the body to transition from one location to another, utilizing a propulsion motion, flight, and initiating and landing with the use of a single foot.
▪ Jumping: is a fundamental motor skill that enables the body to transition from one point to another through a coordinated propulsion and flight motion, where both feet leave the ground simultaneously during takeoff and landing.
▪ Leaping: is a motor action that enables the body to transition from one point to another by propelling forward and upward from one foot, achieving significant distance and height, and then landing on the opposite foot. In Spanish, there is no direct translation for the English term leap. It is recommended to use the terms “paso largo” or “zancada larga” instead.
-Manipulative skills: are motor actions that involve handling and controlling objects using various parts of the body. These actions encompass a range of activities such as bouncing, striking, throwing, catching, trapping, kicking, hitting, collecting, scrambling, cutting, tearing, weaving, and grabbing.
-Non-locomotor skills: refer to motor actions that enable the body to move on its own axis without displacement. Examples of non-locomotor skills include flexing, extending, stretching, twisting, turning, swinging, jerking, bending, pushing, pulling, hanging, tilting, lifting, balancing, and other similar movements.
Skills classifications based on the dominant muscles used to perform a specific motor action are referred to as either gross motor skills or fine motor skills.
-Gross motor skills: are motor actions that incorporate the use of large muscle groups, including activities such as walking, running, and swimming.
-Fine motor skills: are motor actions that involve the coordination and movement of small muscle groups, commonly used in activities such as sewing, writing, and typing.
Cognition skills or abilities: involves mental processes involved in information processing which are essential for effectively adapting to one’s surroundings. These processes include attention, memory, communication, perception, comprehension, abstract thinking, decision making, planning, reasoning, symbolization, interpretation, orientation, metacognition, motivation, self-regulation, creativity, problem-solving, and more.
Abilities: refer to the inherent traits of an individual and are influenced by genetic factors and gradually developed as one matures. These abilities are not acquired through learning but can be honed through practice, ultimately impacting one’s proficiency in a particular skill.
Constraints: are a key concept in Newell’s constraint theory (Newell, 1986) and refer to factors or characteristics within the environment, task, or individual that may limit, shape, or enhance the development or execution of movement or action (Hamilton et al., 2002). In both Spanish and Portuguese, there is no direct translation for the term “constraints”. As such, it is recommended to use the term ‘determinantes’ in Spanish and ‘restrições’ in Portuguese.
Concepts related to movement performance
Learning: relatively permanent acquisition of manners, skill, attitude, or behavior.
Motor learning: refers to improvements in motor performance due to repeated practice and/or accumulated experience.
Perceived competence: refers to an individual’s self-perception of their abilities in various domains of human behavior.
Motor competence: is an individual’s level of proficiency in carrying out a specific motor skill or task and is typically assessed through external evaluation.
Perceived motor competence: refers to an individual’s self-perception of their abilities in the performance of motor skills.
Performance: refers to the ability of efficiently and effectively execute an action or motor skill, regardless of any changes in the internal or external environment.
Retention: refers to the process of acquiring and consistently demonstrating a skill over an extended period.
Transfer of learning: is the capability to apply prior knowledge and skills to acquire new knowledge or skills, thereby facilitating more efficient adaptation. Various forms of transfer exist and are listed below:
-Bilateral transfer or cross-limb transfer: refers to the phenomenon in which acquiring a skill with one limb affects the ability to perform the same skill with the other limb.
-Context-to-context transfer: Describes the transfer of skill proficiency from one environment to another through practice.
-Transfer between skills: is the impact of practicing one skill on the acquisition of a new skill.
There are three different possible outcomes associated with the various forms of transfer occur:
-Negative transfer: occurs when a previously acquired skill hinders the learning or retention of another skill.
-Neutral or zero transfer: refers to a situation in which a previously acquired skill does not have effect on the learning or retention of another skill.
-Positive transfer: involves a previously acquired skill enhancing the learning or retention of another skill.
Concepts related to perceptions
Sensory Systems (Senses): are comprised of specialized cells that detect stimuli through receptors. Human beings typically possess the following sensory systems: auditory, visual, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, and proprioceptive.
Sensory Processing (Sensations): involves sensory information that is transduced into electrical nerve impulses, a process that occurs in response to specific stimuli such as light, sound waves, mechanical vibrations, tactile or chemical contact, among others. This results in conscious, immediate, and automatic reactions.
Perception: involves the interpretation, recognition, and integration of sensory input. It is a subjective process that is influenced by factors such as experience, culture, beliefs, and traditions, among others. Perception allows individuals to construct a conscious understanding of reality and the surrounding environment.
Auditory perception: is the ability to receive and interpret auditory information through the waves of audible frequency transmitted through the air or hearing. Through the vestibular system, individuals can maintain body orientation in space, balance, posture, and muscle tone in various positions by counteracting the effects of gravity. Components of auditory perception include:
-Auditory discrimination: the ability to differentiate and identify sounds emitted by objects, animals, or people.
-Auditory figure-ground perception: the skill of separating sounds from a specific object, animal, or person from background noise.
-Directional sound perception: the capability to determine the origin of a sound.
-Auditory memory: the capacity to recall and repeat a sequence of sounds.
-Auditory attention: the aptitude to combine auditory discrimination, auditory memory, and sound direction to provide accurate responses.
Kinesthetic perception: refers to the ability of muscles and tendons to determine the position of the body while moving or balancing in relation to surrounding objects and space. This includes:
-Kinesthesia or Kinesthetic acuity: is the body’s ability to sense factors like location, distance, weight, strength, speed, and acceleration to achieve optimal positioning for movement.
-Kinesthetic memory: is the capacity to replicate a sequence of movements once the external stimulus is no longer present.
-Body coordination: is the skill of synchronizing body parts to execute smooth, organized, and purposeful movements, leading to precise, efficient, and effective motor actions.
Tactile perception: involves the ability to receive and interpret stimuli through skin contact. This perception plays a crucial role in providing valuable information about the environment.
This includes:
-Tactile discrimination: is the ability to identify objects, animals, or people through touch without relying on other senses.
-Tactile localization: involves locating objects, animals, or people solely through touch.
-Haptic perception: is an active exploration process that enables the identification of objects using sensory receptors in the skin, without the need for sight. Through tactile exploration, the hand can perceive various properties of an object such as texture, weight, hardness, shape, and volume.
Visual perception: refers to the capacity to interpret the visual information that is received through the eyes from the visible spectrum of light. This includes:
-Visual acuity: involves the ability to discern both small stimuli and intricate details within larger visual patterns. Within visual acuity, there are two main components: static visual acuity and dynamic visual acuity.
▪ Static visual acuity: the ability to perceive details in stationary objects, animals, or individuals.
▪ Dynamic visual acuity: is the ability to perceive details in objects, animals, or individuals in motion.
Object permanence: it refers to the cognitive understanding that objects, individuals, or living beings maintain their existence even when they are not directly observed.
Visual background figure: refers to an individual’s capacity to perceive and differentiate objects, individuals, or animals from the environment in which they are situated.
-Spatial orientation: is the ability to recognize the orientation of an object in three dimensions.
-Perceptual constancy: is the capacity to accurately interpret the size and scale of objects in the environment, enabling consistent and precise comprehension of surroundings.
-Depth perception: encompasses the capacity to accurately assess the distance between oneself and others, as well as between objects or locations within a specified area, comprising absolute and relative distances.
-Peripheral vision: is the visible area within an individual’s line of sight that does not require redirecting the eyes.
-Eye-hand coordination: is the ability to execute smooth and purposeful movements in a coordinated manner, utilizing both visual perception and manual dexterity to achieve optimal and successful outcomes.
-Eye-foot coordination: is the ability to execute smooth and purposeful movements in a coordinated manner, utilizing both visual perception and foot control to achieve optimal and successful outcomes.
Intermodal perception or intersensory or multimodal perception: is the process of coordinating information from multiple senses simultaneously in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of an object or event.
Concepts related to awareness
Body awareness: the capacity to identify and pinpoint the various anatomical components of the body, understand their interconnectedness, recognize their functionalities, and acknowledge their constraints. This encompasses comprehension of body schema and body image:
-Body schema: a person’s understanding of their own anatomy as well as that of other individuals, animals, or objects.
-Body image: is the mental perception that each person has of himself and of others.
Temporal awareness: refers to the capacity to establish or sustain a consistent cadence during a sequence of actions to enhance the temporal-spatial organization and smoothness (speed and rhythm):
-Cadency: sequence of sounds or movements that are repeated with a regular rhythm or tempo.
-Reproduction: is the ability to perform a rhythmic structure with any part of the body when previously presented aurally.
-Comprehension: is the capability to accurately replicate the symbols of a rhythmic pattern using any part of the body when under observation.
Spatial awareness: refers to the capacity to understand the position and movement of one’s body in relation to the surrounding environment. This includes the ability to identify objects in three dimensions, perceive spatial areas (i.e., personal, and general space), differentiate between levels (i.e., low, medium, and high) recognize various patterns (i.e., curved, linear, spiral, and angular) and understand planes (i.e., sagittal, transverse, and frontal). Spatial awareness also involves recognizing directions and locations using cardinal points, clock direction, size indicators, time indicators, and other references.
Vestibular awareness: refers to an individual’s capacity to effectively position and organize their body in space to maintain balance in accordance with gravity. This encompasses the concepts of static balance, dynamic balance, and equilibrium.
Interpersonal awareness: refers to the capacity to understand and navigate the physical relationships involved in interactions, including body movements in relation to body parts (both symmetrical and asymmetrical), other individuals, and objects (e.g., on, off, inside, outside, under, over, on, near, away from, beside, to the right of, to the left of, across, along, around, next to, in front of, behind). This includes concepts such as proximity, direction, and spatial orientation in relation to others. This awareness extends to coordinating movements with others, whether leading, following, mirroring, or matching, either as a group, in pairs, or individually.
Effort awareness: is the ability to establish how the body moves. It includes timing (e.g., fast, sudden, slow, and sustained), strength (e.g., strong, firm, lightweight, and light) and fluidity (e.g., limited, restrictive, controlled, and free).
Directional awareness: is the ability to identify and locate the directionality of animals, objects or people, and the relationship between them.
Directionality: refers to the capacity to perceive and understand various spatial dimensions and how the body can navigate within those dimensions. This includes recognizing directions such as forward, backward, upward, downward, right, left, inward, outward, below, above (without contact), and among others.
Laterality: refers to an individual’s motor awareness and coordination of both sides of the body, including:
-Brain lateralization: refers to the phenomenon in which cognitive processes or neural functions become specialized in one of the cerebral hemispheres, a concept also known as hemispheric specialization.
-Conceptual laterality: refers to the ability to accurately identify the right or left side of an object, animal, or person, as well as understand the spatial relationship between them based on their respective positions.
-Lateral dominance: is the tendency for one side of the body to demonstrate enhanced proficiency or dominance in a motor task compared to the other side (i.e., the eye, leg, hand, or ear).
Concepts related to movement planning
Physical activity: any movement that is produced by the musculoskeletal systems that generates an expenditure of energy above the resting level.
Perceptual motor activities: Tasks or motor actions that engage the senses, perceptions, and sensations of individuals to support human development in specific areas.
Physical exercise: any structured, repetitive, and planned body movement related to the maintenance or improvement of one or more components of physical fitness.
Sport: is physical activity that involves a series of rules grouped in a set of regulations that takes place in a delimited space or area and is practiced with the purpose of achieving a recreational or competitive result.
Motor interventions: are programs of planned activities, structured, and executed for the purpose of teaching, improving, or enhancing the skills and abilities of human beings.
Structured play: is strategically developed and organized with a specific objective in mind. Typically overseen or supported by a supervisor or mentor.
Free play: is spontaneous, self-directed play that occurs organically amongst individuals or within a group without external direction, rules, guidance, or influence.
Teaching progression: is a structured and planned program designed to educate individuals on a particular skill or set of skills, progressing from basic to advanced levels of complexity.
Motor task: involve organized and systematic motor actions aimed at achieving a motor goal or objective.
Deliberate or directed practice: activities that have been specially designed to optimize performance and learning of a skill.
Glossary of equivalent terms in Spanish/English/Portuguese languages
The terms below have been organized alphabetically. The slash (/) separated the term between languages for a better identification: Spanish/ English/ Portuguese. In case multiple applicable terms (equivalent) in the same language, a conjunction would be indicated it: o/or/ou. For example: Spanish o Spanish/ English or English/ Portuguese ou Portuguese.
A
Actividad física/ Physical activity/ atividade física
Actividades sensoriomotrices o perceptuales motoras/ Sensorimotor or perceptual motor activities/ Actividades percetivo-motoras ou sensório-motoras
Agudeza kinestésica/ Kinesthesia or Kinesthetic acuity/ Sinestesia ou acuidade cinestésica
Agudeza visual/ Visual acuity/ Acuidade visual
Agudeza visual estática/ Static visual acuity/ Acuidade visual estática
Agudeza visual dinámica/ Dynamic visual acuity/ Acuidade visual dinâmica
Aprendizaje/ Learning/ Aprendizagem
Aprendizaje motor/ Motor learning/ Aprendizagem motora
Atención auditiva/ Auditory attention/ Atenção auditiva
B
Brincar o Salto con un pie/ Hop/ Salto sobre o mesmo pé
C
Competencia percibida/ Perceived competence/ Competência percebida
Competencia motriz observada o real/ Observed or actual motor competence/ Competência motora observada ou real
Competencia motriz percibida/ Perceived motor competence/ Competência motora percebida
Comportamiento motor/ Motor behavior/ Comportamento motor
Conciencia corporal/ Body awareness/ Consciência corporal
Conciencia direcciones/ Directional awareness/ Consciência direcional
Conciencia del esfuerzo/ Effort awareness/ Consciência do esforço
Conciencia del espacio/ Spatial awareness/ Consciência espacial
Conciencia de las relaciones/ Relationship awareness/ Consciência das relações
Conciencia temporal/ Temporal awareness/ Consciência temporal
Conciencia vestibular/ Vestibular awareness/ Consciência vestibular
Constancia perceptual/ Perceptual constancy/ Constância perceptiva
Control motriz/ Motor control/ Controle motor
Coordinación corporal/ Body coordination/ Coordenação corporal
Coordinación vista-mano/ Eye-hand coordination/ Coordenação óculo-manual
Coordinación vista-pie/ Eye-foot coordination/ Coordenação olho-pé
D
Deporte/ Sports/ Desporto ou esporte
Desarrollo humano/ Human development/ Desenvolvimento humano
Desarrollo motor/ Motor development/ Desenvolvimento motor
Desempeño/ Performance/ Desempenho
Destrezas/ Skills/ Habilidades
Destrezas abiertas/ Open skills/ Habilidades abertas
Destrezas motoras básicas o patrones básicos de movimiento/ Fundamental motor skills/ Habilidades motoras fundamentais ou Habilidades motoras básica ou padrões básicos de movimento
Destrezas cerradas/ Closed skills/ Habilidades fechadas
Destreza cognitiva/ Cognitive skills/ Habilidades cognitivas
Destrezas contínuas/ Continuous skills/ Habilidades contínuas
Destrezas discretas/ Discrete skills/ Habilidades discretas
Destrezas en serie o seriada/ Serial skills/ Habilidades seriada
Destrezas locomotoras/ Locomotor skills/ Habilidades de locomoção ou habilidades locomotoras
Destrezas manipulativas/ Manipulative skills or Object control skills/ Habilidades manipulativas ou habilidades de controle de objetos
Destrezas motoras finas/ Fine motor skills/ Motricidade fina ou habilidades motoras finas
Destrezas motoras gruesas/ Gross motor skills/ Motricidade grossa ou habilidades motoras grossas
Destrezas no locomotoras/ Non-locomotor skills/ Habilidades não-locomotoras
Determinantes/Constraints/ Restrições
Dirección del sonido/ Direction of the sound/ Direção do som
Direccionalidad/ Directionality/ Direcionalidade
Discriminación auditiva/ Auditory discrimination/ Discriminação auditiva
Discriminación táctil/ Tactile discrimination/ Discriminação tátil
E
Ejercicio físico/ Exercise/ Exercício físico
Esquema corporal/ Body schema/ Esquema corporal
F
Figura fondo visual/ Visual background figure/ Figura visual de fundo
H
Habilidades/ Abilities/ Capacidades
Habilidad cognitiva/ Cognitive skills/ Capacidade cognitiva
I
Intervención motriz/ Motor intervention/ Intervenções motora
Imagen corporal/ Body image/ Imagem corporal
J
Juego dirigido/ Structured play/ Jogo dirigido ou jogo estruturado
Juego libre/ Free play/ Jogo livre
L
Lateralidad/ Laterality/ Lateralidade
Lateralidad cerebral/ Brain lateralization/ Lateralidade cerebral
Lateralidad conceptual/ Conceptual laterality/ Lateralidade conceitual
Lateralidad corporal/ Lateral dominance/ Lateralidade corporal
Localización táctil/ Tactile localization/ Localização tátil
M
Memoria auditiva/ Auditory memory/ Memória auditiva
Memoria kinestésica/ Kinesthetic memory/ Memória cinestésica
Movimientos/ Movements/ Movimentos
Movimientos reflejos/ Reflexive movements/ Movimentos reflexos
Movimientos rudimentarios/ Rudimentary movements/ Movimentos rudimentares
O
Orientación espacial/ Spatial orientation/ Orientação espacial
P
Percepciones/ Perceptions/ Percepções
Percepción auditiva/ Auditory perception/ Percepção auditiva
Percepción auditiva figura-tierra/ Auditory figure-ground perception/ Percepção auditiva figura-solo
Percepción de profundidad/ Depth perception/ Percepção de profundidade
Percepción kinestésica/ Kinesthetic perception/ Percepção cinestésica
Percepción háptica/ Haptic perception/ Percepção háptica
Percepción intermodal/ Intermodal perception/ Percepção intermodal
Percepción intrasensorial/ Intrasensory perception/ Percepção intrasensorial
Percepción táctil/ Tactile perception/ Percepção tátil
Percepción visual/ Visual motion perception/ Percepção visual
Permanencia en el objeto/ Object permanence/ Permanência no objeto ou objeto permanência
Práctica deliberada/ Deliberate practice/ Prática deliberada
Progresión de enseñanza/ Teaching progression/ Progressão pedagógica
R
Retención/ Retention/ Retenção
S
Saltar/ Jump/ Salto como os dois pés
Sentidos/ Senses/ Sentidos
Sensaciones/ Sensations/ Sensações
T
Tarea motriz/ Motor task/ Tarefa motora
Transferencia/ Transfer of learning/ Transferência da aprendizagem
Transferencia bilateral/ Bilateral transfer or cross-limb transfer/ Transferência bilateral
Transferencia entre contextos/ Context-to-context transfer/ Transferência entre contextos ou transferência de aprendizagem no contexto
Trasferencia entre destrezas/ Transfer between skills/ Transferência de habilidades
Transferencia negativa/ Negative transfer/ Transferência negativa
Transferencia neutra/ Neutral or Zero transfer/ Transferência neutra
Transferencia positiva/ Positive transfer/ Transferência positiva
V
Visión Periférica/ Peripheral visión/ Visão periférica
Conclusions
This universal glossary serves as a digital resource for professionals across various disciplines from both private and public organizations, as well as students undergoing professional training, and interested parents, guardians, caregivers. Its purpose is to enhance their motor development knowledge and understanding by providing definitions to terminology used in the field. This initiative is the first of its kind in lexicography, addressing the challenges encountered in translating information across languages and accessing scientific data in motor development. It aims to address the theoretical and conceptual obstacles that have impacted the quality of educational processes for professionals in kinesiology, human movement sciences, and related fields. It is highly recommended to continually expand and update this glossary, not only by adding more terms but also by providing translations for each term in different languages.
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* Corresponding author: María Morera-Castro, mmore@una.ac.cr
Received: June 20, 2025
Accepted: January 20, 2026
Published: June 30, 2026
How to cite: Morera-Castro, M., Castro, N. C., Rudisill Castro, M. E., Jiménez-Castro, J. (2026). Universal glossary of terms for human motor development: implementation of the specialized lexicography approach. JUMP, 13, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.17651/jump.n13.9745
This is an open access article under the CC-BY 4.0 license