Evidence for the dependence of visual and kinesthetic motor imagery on isolated visual and motor practice

MSL research field: 
Skill acquisition
TitleEvidence for the dependence of visual and kinesthetic motor imagery on isolated visual and motor practice
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2025
AuthorsPeters, CM, Scott, MW, Jin, R, Ma, M, Kraeutner, SN, Hodges, NJ
JournalConsciousness and Cognition
Volume127
Pagination103802
Date PublishedJan-01-2025
Type of Articleopen access
ISSN10538100
KeywordsAction imagery, action simulation, internal representation, mental practice
Abstract

Motor imagery (MI) is a cognitive process believed to rely on the representation developed through experience. The equivalence between MI and execution has been questioned and the relationship between experience types and MI is unclear. We tested how observational and physical practice of hand gesture sequences impacted visual and kinesthetic MI, and transfer to the unpractised effector. Three groups (n = 22/gp.); no-vision physical practice, observational practice and no-practice control, practiced and visually and kinesthetically imagined performing the sequences. MI was assessed using mental chronometry, a movement time (MT) congruency measure, and subjective ratings. Physical practice improved kinesthetic MI ratings and observational practice improved visual MI ratings. Contrary to predictions, physical practice did not enhance timing congruency. Imagined MTs were longer in transfer after physical practice, suggesting MI was not based on the same representation. These data question ideas of equivalence, with poor temporal matching after no-vision physical practice.

URLhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810024001697
DOI10.1016/j.concog.2024.103802
Short Titleobservational and physical practice effects on motor imagery
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