Abstract
We report three experiments investigating the hypothesis that use of internal visual imagery (IVI) would be superior to external visual imagery (EVI) for the performance of different slalom-based motor tasks. In Experiment 1, three groups of participants (IVI, EVI, and a control group) performed a driving-simulation slalom task. The IVI group achieved significantly quicker lap times than EVI and the control group. In Experiment 2, participants performed a downhill running slalom task under both IVI and EVI conditions. Performance was again quickest in the IVI compared to EVI condition, with no differences in accuracy. Experiment 3 used the same group design as Experiment 1, but with participants performing a downhill ski-slalom task. Results revealed the IVI group to be significantly more accurate than the control group, with no significant differences in time taken to complete the task. These results support the beneficial effects of IVI for slalom-based tasks, and significantly advances our knowledge related to the differential effects of visual imagery perspectives on motor performance.
Highlights
Research examining the effects of imagery on the acquisition and execution of motor performance has delineated imagery into modalities and perspectives
Preliminary analyses All participants reported on the manipulation/social validation questionnaire that they were able to adhere to their allocated groups with minimum reported switching of perspectives in either of the imagery groups
Participants in the internal visual imagery (IVI) and external visual imagery (EVI) groups reported some experience of kinesthetic imagery during their visual imagery, there was no significant difference between the imagery groups in terms of their kinesthetic imagery experience (p = 1, d = 0)
Summary
Research examining the effects of imagery on the acquisition and execution of motor performance has delineated imagery into modalities and perspectives. This delineation includes visual and kinesthetic sensory modalities (e.g., Hardy and Callow, 1999; Fourkas et al, 2006; Guillot et al, 2009), with the visual modality being further separated into two visual imagery perspectives. Research exploring the effect of internal and external visual imagery produced equivocal results. Three possible explanations have been provided for these inconsistent results: (a) that specific visual imagery perspectives produce greater performance gains for certain motor tasks than for others (e.g., Highlen and Bennett, 1979; Hardy, 1997), (b) that previous conceptualizations of internal imagery (such as that used by Epstein and Mahoney and Avener) have confounded internal visual imagery with kinesthetic imagery (cf. Hardy and Callow, 1999), and (c) that it has been incorrectly assumed that kinesthetic imagery can only be experienced with an internal perspective or is easier to use with an internal perspective (cf. White and Hardy, 1995; Taktek, 2012)
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