Which term describes the acquisition and permanent retention of a skilled movement through practice?

• A. Neuroplasticity
• B. Discrete
• C. Motor learning
• D. Continuous

Answer: (C)

Motor learning is the process by which practice leads to the acquisition of a new skill and its long-term retention, so the movement can be performed more automatically and with less effort over time. This involves improvements in accuracy, speed, and consistency, plus the ability to maintain or transfer the skill after a period without practice. Neuroplasticity underlies motor learning—the brain’s ability to reorganize its networks in response to experience—but the term itself specifically describes acquiring and retaining a skilled movement. Discrete and continuous describe task characteristics (whether a movement has a definite start/end or flows without a clear stop), not the learning process itself.