ABSTRACT
Human motor development is both a process through which we pass during the course of life and an academic field of study. Understanding human motor development is also important for helping people improve their movement performance, which can yield many benefits. An improved self-concept often accompanies improved movement and enables a person to become more emotionally stable and satisfied. Motor development researchers use several terms to describe the general growth and maturation trends that occur throughout the population. The cephalocaudal and proximodistal concepts are useful tools in our efforts to gain a general understanding of motor development. These processes generally apply to human growth and motor development, but there are a few exceptions. The terms gross movement and fine movement are generally used to categorize types of movements; however, they can also generally describe motor development. Gross movements are primarily controlled by the large muscles or muscle groups.
