Effects of Multiple Schema in Performance

January 13th, 2007 Fred McVittie Posted in Gist, Performance, Proprioception, Schema |

The ‘gist’ or schema associated (possibly metaphorically) with a physical behaviour organises the proprioception involved in the carrying out of that behaviour, particularly taking care of the details. Sometimes different schema can be mobilised simultaneously, as when we are required to perform two tasks at once, or when we conceive (consciously or unconsciously) of a single task as being composed of two other tasks, (as for example when we learn to dance ‘the twist’ be imagining drying our back with a towel whilst grinding out a cigarette end under a foot). It is likely that, in addition to such potentially useful or complementary schema, there are also occasions when competing or conflicting schema are operating simultaneously, which would negatively affect the carrying out of the desired action. This may be evidenced in theatrical performance contexts when a nervous actor may be operating a ‘hide’ schema alongside other behaviours.