What are the four historical periods of motor development, in the correct order?

The four historical periods of motor development, in the correct order, are identified as the precursor, maturational, normative/descriptive, and process-oriented periods.

The precursor period involved early observations about movement and motor skills, laying the foundation for understanding human development. The maturational period shifted the focus to the biological and genetic factors influencing motor development, emphasizing that development progresses in a relatively fixed sequence, largely determined by heredity.

Next, the normative/descriptive period marked a time when researchers began to gather data on typical patterns of motor development, creating standards and norms to compare developmental progress. This led to a better understanding of generally accepted timelines for the acquisition of motor skills.

Finally, the process-oriented period highlighted the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind motor skill acquisition, focusing on the processes and strategies that contribute to movement learning and performance.

This progression from a focus on early observations to understanding biological influences and eventually to analyzing normative data and learning processes illustrates the evolving nature of research and thinking in motor development, making this order significant in the study of human movement.