External Visual Imagery Research Articles

The influence of internal and external visual imagery on self-confidence in learning gymnastics

Students must have high self-confidence in learning physical education, because self-confidence affects individual success in performing motor skills. The purpose of this study was to reveal differences in the influence of internal and external visual imagery on students' self-confidence in learning gymnastics with cartwheels material. This research is a multiple linear regression experimental research. The number of samples in this study were 68 students. Actions are carried out by integrating internal and external visual imagery exercises in gymnastic learning. The data collection technique uses a self-confidence scale as an instrument. Data were analyzed using an independent sample t-test with a significance level of 0.05. The results showed that internal and external visual imagery had a significant effect on students' self-confidence (tcount ttable, sig. 0.05), but there was a significant difference between internal and external visual imagery training (tcount ttable, sig. 0.27 0.05) so that the internal visual imagery training method is better than the external imagery method (mean 71.2941 67.8824). The results of this study indicate that students' self-confidence in performing wheel motion skills can be increased through internal and external visual imagery exercises that are integrated into the learning process, but internal visual imagery training methods are preferred.

Neural Activity During Imagery Supports Three Imagery Abilities as Measured by the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3.

Self-report and neural data were examined in 14 right-handed college-age males screened from a pool of 200 to verify neural activity during imagery and that the neural activity (area of brain) varies as a function of the imagery type. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected during real-time imagery of the three Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 abilities indicated frontal areas, motor areas, and cerebellum active during kinesthetic imagery, motor areas, and superior parietal lobule during internal visual imagery, and parietal lobule and occipital cortex during external visual imagery. Central and imagery-specific neural patterns were found providing further biological validation of kinesthetic, internal visual, and external visual complementing results on females. Next, research should (a)compare neural activity between male participants screened by self-reported imagery abilities to determine if good imagers have more efficient neural networks than poor imagers and (b)determine if there is a statistical link between participants' neural activity during imagery and self-report Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 scores.

Questioning the transfer effect of motor imagery benefits: The neglected variable of interest

Over the last three decades, a large amount of experimental research aimed at determining the optimal motor imagery practice guidelines, and provided a comprehensive overview of the main recommendations to develop effective interventions. Yet, the scientific literature paid little attention to transfer effects resulting from motor imagery practice. In the present paper, we examined whether performance gains following motor imagery were task-specific or likely to be transferred to partially distinct motor skills. Twenty-eight golf players of intermediate level were involved in a 12-weeks test-retest design, where swing and putting performances were measured. All participants were subjected to three 4-week imagery interventions (internal visual imagery, external visual imagery and kinesthetic imagery), which were contrasted to a control pre-test measure. During each imagery intervention, they were requested to imagine only the swing shot. All imagery interventions contributed to enhance swing performance, and gains largely transferred to the putting performance in spite of a complete absence of training. A slight superiority of external visual imagery was observed for both shots. Interestingly, individual motor imagery ability scores predicted performance gains under the corresponding motor imagery training condition. Taken together, present findings support transfer effects of motor imagery interventions. Practically, this effect should be considered to achieve optimally effective interventions to enhance performance in relation to individual motor imagery ability profiles.

Convergent validity and sex invariant factor structure of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 - Second version (MIQ-3S): Healthy, young adult reference data

Aligned with the approach that established the factor structure of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3), this study extended the two-factor structure of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire – Revised Second version (MIQ-RS). The extension involves assessment of both internal and external visual imagery abilities along with kinesthetic imagery ability. Participants (N = 396) completed the new Movement Imagery Questionnaire – 3 Second Version (MIQ-3S) along with the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire-2 (VMIQ-2) which measure the same three imagery abilities. Alpha coefficients and between scale Spearman correlations for internal, external, and kinesthetic abilities indicated items were internally consistent (α > 0.87) and established convergent validity (r > 0.69), respectively. MIQ-3S scale means ranged from 5.56 (SD = 1.10) to 5.98 (SD = 0.84), with no differences by sex. The three scales were not multicolinear as intra-scale correlations ranged from 0.47 to 0.61, supporting the three abilities were related, but separate constructs. A multi-trait multimethod confirmatory factor analysis (MTMM CFA), with sex invariance, was conducted to confirm the 3-factor structure of the MIQ-3S. Results from 396 healthy male (n = 200) and female (n = 196) adult college-aged students (M = 21.91, SD = 2.37) indicated a correlated-traits correlated-uniqueness model provided the best fit to the data (CFI = 0.99; SRMR = 0.05; RMSEA = 0.03), while displaying sex invariance. These findings provide baseline data on college-aged, healthy adult participants providing reference data to those investigating imagery abilities among injured populations and practitioners interested in tracking individuals in rehabilitation.

Kinestetičke i vizuelne slike kod mladih odraslih osoba sa hroničnim bolom u vratu

Background:Young adults complain of neck pain almost every year. In recent years the ability of motor imagery (kinesthetic and visual imagery) in many musculoskeletal system problems other than neck pain in young adults has been investigated in the literature. The Cross-Sectional study aimed to question motor imagery ability in young adults with chronic neck pain. Methods: Two groups were included in the study: the chronic neck pain group (n = 83) and the control group (n = 91). Motor imagery ability of both groups was evaluated with Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3. Additionally, in the chronic neck pain group, pain was evaluated with the Short Form-McGill Pain Questionnaire, disability was evaluated with the Neck Disability Index, and kinesiophobia was evaluated with Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia. Conclusions: Internal visual imagery and kinesthetic imagery were significantly different between chronic neck pain and control groups. There was a negative linear relationship between disability and internal visual imagery, external visual imagery, and kinesthetic imagery. Motor imagery ability is reduced in young adults with chronic neck pain. In addition, as the severity of disability increases, the motor imagery ability decreases. Therefore, it is considered appropriate to include a motor imagery training program when treating chronic neck pain in the future.

Translation and validation of the movement imagery questionnaire-3 second French version

IntroductionMotor imagery (MI) can be defined as the mental simulation of an action without performing it. Its effectiveness can be substantially influenced by imagery ability, and it is currently accepted that three main modalities are used in MI (kinaesthetic imagery, and internal or external visual imageries). In the context of rehabilitation, MI combined with physical therapy is further known to facilitate functional improvements, and promote cortical reorganization and long-term recovery. This study aimed to test the reproducibility and the validity of constructs (internal consistency and factorial structure) of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 Second French version (MIQ-3Sf). MethodThe internal consistency as well as the validity of constructs and the test-retest inter-rate reproducibility of the MIQ-3Sf was examined, in 553 participants, for the kinaesthetic and visual items. ResultsThe composite reliability scores (≥0.92) and the intraclass correlation coefficients (>0.88) for the kinaesthetic, internal visual and external visual imagery subscales revealed satisfactory internal consistency and reproducibility. Moreover, Pearson correlations revealed a strong relationship between the MIQ-3Sf and the MIQ-3f. Conclusions/Implications. The MIQ-3Sf can be considered as a valid, reliable and useful questionnaire for examining MI ability in the context of rehabilitation.

Association Between Mental Imagery and Change of Direction Performance in Young Elite Soccer Players of Different Maturity Status.

Previous studies have not considered the potential influence of maturity status on the relationship between mental imagery and change of direction (CoD) speed in youth soccer. Accordingly, this cross-sectional study examined the association between mental imagery and CoD performance in young elite soccer players of different maturity status. Forty young male soccer players, aged 10-17 years, were assigned into two groups according to their predicted age at peak height velocity (PHV) (Pre-PHV; n = 20 and Post-PHV; n = 20). Participants were evaluated on soccer-specific tests of CoD with (CoDBall-15m) and without (CoD-15m) the ball. Participants completed the movement imagery questionnaire (MIQ) with the three- dimensional structure, internal visual imagery (IVI), external visual imagery (EVI), as well as kinesthetic imagery (KI). The Post-PHV players achieved significantly better results than Pre-PHV in EVI (ES = 1.58, large; p < 0.001), CoD-15m (ES = 2.09, very large; p < 0.001) and CoDBall-15m (ES = 1.60, large; p < 0.001). Correlations were significantly different between maturity groups, where, for the pre-PHV group, a negative very large correlation was observed between CoDBall-15m and KI (r = –0.73, p = 0.001). For the post-PHV group, large negative correlations were observed between CoD-15m and IVI (r = –0.55, p = 0.011), EVI (r = –062, p = 0.003), and KI (r = –0.52, p = 0.020). A large negative correlation of CoDBall-15m with EVI (r = –0.55, p = 0.012) and very large correlation with KI (r = –0.79, p = 0.001) were also observed. This study provides evidence of the theoretical and practical use for the CoD tasks stimulus with imagery. We recommend that sport psychology specialists, coaches, and athletes integrated imagery for CoD tasks in pre-pubertal soccer players to further improve CoD related performance.

An examination of imagery ability and imagery use in skilled golfers

Abstract Objectives The use of imagery to improve golf performance is well established and recognised as a key psychological technique in developing and maintaining excellence. However, the relationship between a golfer’s imagery ability and their imagery use is still poorly understood. The current study examined differences in participants vividness of movement imagery and imagery use and the extent their vividness of movement imagery predicted functions of imagery use. Methods One hundred and one male skilled golfers (Mage=27.80, SD=11.03) with CONGU recognised handicaps ranging from plus 4 to 5 (Mhandicap=1.32, SD=2.74) completed both the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire-2 (Roberts, R., Callow, N., Hardy, L., Markland, D., &amp; Bringer, J. (2008). Movement imagery ability: Development and assessment of a revised version of the vividness of movement imagery questionnaire. Journal of Sport &amp; Exercise Psychology, 30(2), 200–221) and Sports Imagery Questionnaire (Hall, C. R., Mack, D. E., Paivio, A., &amp; Hauesenblas, H. A. (1998). Imagery use by athletes: Development of the sport imagery questionnaire. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 29, 73–89). Results The results demonstrated no significant differences between Internal and External visual imagery, however, Kinaesthetic imagery scores were significantly higher than External visual imagery scores. Significant differences in imagery use were recorded with participants reporting higher Cognitive specific imagery use scores compared to other functions of imagery use. Regression analyses indicted that golf handicap accounted for 12% in the variance of Cognitive specific imagery use with an additional 12% accounted for by Internal visual imagery and 7% Kinaesthetic imagery. For Cognitive general imagery use golf handicap accounted for 4% of the variance with Internal visual imagery adding a further 5% to the model. Conclusions Our findings highlight that vividness of movement imagery; specifically, Internal and Kinaesthetic imagery ability are significant predictors of skilled golfers Cognitive specific and Cognitive general imagery use.

Translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the Spanish version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3)

ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Spanish version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 in order to assess an individual's external visual, internal, and kinesthetic imagery abilities. DesignProspective two-phase scale validation study. SubjectsOne-hundred and forty subjects (47 men and 93 women, mean age = 21.54 ± 2.127 years) were included in the study. MethodsA direct and indirect translation of the questionnaire was initially carried out and then the psychometric properties of the questionnaire were studied. ResultsThe confirmatory factor analysis showed a good model fit. The percentage of explained variance was 69.55. Good internal consistency was observed for the total score and for each subscale (internal visual = 0.849, external visual = 0.837 and kinesthetic = 0.857). The correlation with the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised was high and the test showed stability in a one-week period. Gender invariance was demonstrated. ConclusionsThe positive psychometric properties of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 in its Spanish version show that it can be used to measure imagery capabilities among a young and healthy population in both sexes.

French translation and validation of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-third version (MIQ-3f)

Objectives: Imagery ability is a variable influencing the effectiveness of imagery practice that can be estimated by means of questionnaires. Among them, the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised, translated and validated in French, is widely used by French speakers. However, it does not allow for the distinction between the two visual imagery perspectives (internal vs. external). The Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 has been recently proposed in the English literature to differentiate between the ease of performing internal visual, external visual and kinesthetic imagery. The aim of this study was to translate and validate a French version of this questionnaire (MIQ-3f). Method: We examined the validity of constructs, internal consistency, and test-retest inter-rate reliability of the visual and kinesthetic items of the MIQ-3f in 272 healthy participants (Mage = 20.26 years, SD = 1.73). Results: The internal consistency (composite reliability scores ≥ 0.88 for the three subscales) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients: 0.87 for visual internal imagery, 0.86 for visual external imagery, and 0.88 for kinesthetic imagery) of the MIQ-3f were satisfactory. The three-factor structure (with 4 items for each factor) was supported by confirmatory factor analysis. The MIQ-3f appears to be a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to assess imagery ability in French speakers.

Comparing movement imagery and action observation as techniques to increase imagery ability

ObjectivesThis study compared the effectiveness of an imagery intervention with an action observation intervention on the effectiveness of improving the ability to image different content and characteristics. These two intervention techniques were also compared to a control condition. DesignExperimental study, random assignment to one of three groups and repeated assessments. MethodParticipants (N = 51; 59% female; Mage = 19.37, SD = 1.33) were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups: 1) imagery, 2) observation, 3) control. Imagery ability was assessed using the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3) and Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire (SIAQ) before and after the 4-week intervention. Groups consisted of either imaging a series of finger exercises (imagery group), observing videos of the same exercises (observation group), or performing the stroop task (control group). The intervention was conducted once a week in the lab, and imagery and observation interventions were also performed in participants’ own time between visits. ResultsParticipants in the imagery and observation groups experienced a significant increase in their SIAQ skill, strategy, and mastery imagery ability from baseline to post intervention (ps < .05); the control group experienced no change in their imagery ability of these subscales. All groups experienced an increase in their MIQ-3 external visual imagery from baseline to post intervention. 82% of the observation group experienced spontaneous imagery during observation of the movements. ConclusionsImagery and observation are similarly effective intervention strategies in improving movement based imagery ability. Observation of actions appears to elicit spontaneous imagery in most people.

The comparison of Imagery ability in elite, sub-elite and non-elite swimmers

The ability to generate and control mental images is present in all of us, but it differs from person to person. Therefore, it is important to understand that imagery ability can be changed through training and experimentation, it is not a fixed ability (Cumming &amp; Williams, 2012). The aim of this study is to compare imagery ability in elite, sub-elite and non-elite athletes in a sport which involves closed and continuous motor skills, such as swimming. 79 swimmers (male N = 37; female N = 42) at an average age of 17 took part in this study. In order to assess imagery ability, the Movement Imagery Questionnaire 3 was used, Portuguese version (Mendes et al., 2016). After analysis of the results, these show that in each and every imagery modality, the scores in the three groups differ significantly. In kinesthetic and external visual imagery the elite and sub-elite groups’ scores, although not statistically different from each other, are significantly higher than those of the non-elite group. In internal visual imagery, the differences between all the compared pairs of groups are statistically significant. The elite group got the highest scores, followed by the sub-elite group average scores and finally the non-elite group average scores. According to these results, the conclusion is that athletes with better performance show greater imagery ability and that apparently the external visual imagery proved to be the best intervention method among swimming athletes.

ROLE OF THE MENTAL REPRESENTATION IN ENHANCING MOTOR LEARNING AND PERFORMING GYMNASTIC ELEMENT

The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of three intervention modalities ((a) external visual imagery modality, (b) verbal feedback modality and (c) visualization modality) on the Roll backward to handstand. 42 females’ students (age 20.6 ± 1.3 years) voluntarily took part in this study. Subjects were assigned into three groups according to three learning modalities: mental imagery modality, verbal feedback modality and visualization modality. During the two testing sessions (before and after training sessions), the participant was marked according to the FIG Code of Points. The results thus reveal a significant effect on the training, therefore on the learning of the backward roll followed by a handstand by the method of mental imagery. Thus, the mental imagery seems to be a tool for transmission of knowing and training by excellence making it possible to the students to progress while getting rid of the lack of motivation, organization, implication and work. Moreover, the results gathered following the gymnastic practice also show an improvement of the performance of the first group that had to undergo training by verbal feedback. This supports the idea that the training by the method of verbal feedback improves the technical performance of a gymnastic element. However, the method of training by visualization of a model appears to be the less developed by the participants in comparison with the mental imagery and the verbal Feedback.

Action dual tasks reveal differential effects of visual imagery perspectives on motor performance.

Imagery research has identified two main visual perspectives, external visual imagery (EVI, third person) and internal visual imagery (IVI, first person). Based upon findings from brain imaging literature showing that different neural substrates are recruited for IVI and EVI perspectives, and that IVI activates motor system brain areas, we hypothesised that a concurrent action dual task would cause greater interference in performance for IVI than EVI. In a first experiment, participants were allocated to either an IVI or an EVI group, and were tasked with moving an onscreen marker towards a target in three blocked conditions: imagery, imagery with a concurrent motor dual-task of sequencing, and a math control. An interaction between imagery group and condition was driven by greater root mean square error for participants in the dual-task condition in the IVI group compared with the EVI group. We replicated the experiment with an eye-tracking objective measure of IVI; the results again showed that participants in the IVI group made more errors in motor movements, and an interference effect in eye movements, during the dual-task sequencing condition compared with the EVI group. The results of the two experiments reveal that a secondary motor task does interfere with IVI, providing behavioural evidence that IVI appears to rely on motor system processes more than EVI. These results have important implications for the use of visual imagery perspectives across a number of domains, with this paper being an essential reference for those conducting visual imagery perspectives research.

Differences in accuracy and vividness of motor imagery in children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder

Motor imagery (MI) provides a unique window on the integrity of movement representation. Studies have shown that children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) experience problems with tasks thought to rely on an internal model of movements. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare MI accuracy and MI vividness between typically developing (TD) and children with DCD. Ninety-three children with ages between 7 and 12 years (TD: n = 51; DCD: n = 42) were tested with the Movement Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ-c) to assess MI vividness and the Florida Praxis Imagery Questionnaire (FPIQ) to assess MI accuracy. To compare differences between the groups for each assessment and in the subscales, two separate general linear model analyses were conducted: A 2 × 3 (Group [TD, DCD] × Subscales [internal visual imagery, external visual imagery, kinesthetic imagery]) for MI vividness and a 2 × 4 (Group [TD, DCD] × Subscales [position, object, kinesthetic, action]) for MI accuracy. Results indicated that children with DCD scored significantly lower (p < .05) on MI accuracy than TD children, but there were no significant differences between the groups on MI vividness. Additionally, there were significant differences in the subscales for both measurements of MI. Specifically, results showed lower scores overall for the kinesthetic subscale. These findings indicate that the MI deficit seen in children with DCD is probably associated with MI accuracy, not MI vividness. These results suggest the need of further exploration into specific measurements of MI in children with DCD.

Imagery ability in Boccia: Comparison among federate athletes from different medical sport groups

The aim of this study was to analyse and compare movement visualization ability in federate and non-federate Boccia athletes, and among federate Boccia medical sport groups. Forty-two Boccia athletes (Federate N = 24; Non-federate N = 18) at an average age of 35.8 (SD = 11.19) participated in this study. The Portuguese version of Movement Imagery Questionnaire - 3 (MIQ-3), was used for this study. The participants were evaluated on the internal and external visual imagery. Statistics was carried out following the method of interference based on the magnitude of the effects. Results showed a great effect of expertise in imagery ability. The comparison between federate and non-federate Boccia athletes showed a great effect in the Internal Visual subscale and a moderate effect in the External Visual subscale. It was also observed differences between athletes from different medical-sports groups, revealing that the requirements of the sport linked to their action abilities provides them with different Imagery abilities. These results clearly influence the prescription of imagery training programs for different groups taking into account different medical-practice groups.

Functional Role of Internal and External Visual Imagery: Preliminary Evidences from Pilates.

The present study investigates whether a functional difference between the visualization of a sequence of movements in the perspective of the first- (internal VMI-I) or third- (external VMI-E) person exists, which might be relevant to promote learning. By using a mental chronometry experimental paradigm, we have compared the time or execution, imagination in the VMI-I perspective, and imagination in the VMI-E perspective of two kinds of Pilates exercises. The analysis was carried out in individuals with different levels of competence (expert, novice, and no-practice individuals). Our results showed that in the Expert group, in the VMI-I perspective, the imagination time was similar to the execution time, while in the VMI-E perspective, the imagination time was significantly lower than the execution time. An opposite pattern was found in the Novice group, in which the time of imagination was similar to that of execution only in the VMI-E perspective, while in the VMI-I perspective, the time of imagination was significantly lower than the time of execution. In the control group, the times of both modalities of imagination were significantly lower than the execution time for each exercise. The present data suggest that, while the VMI-I serves to train an already internalised gesture, the VMI-E perspective could be useful to learn, and then improve, the recently acquired sequence of movements. Moreover, visual imagery is not useful for individuals that lack a specific motor experience. The present data offer new insights in the application of mental training techniques, especially in field of sports. However, further investigations are needed to better understand the functional role of internal and external visual imagery.

Internal and External Imagery Effects on Tennis Skills Among Novices.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of internal and external visual imagery perspectives on performance accuracy of open and closed tennis skills (i.e., serve, forehand, and backhand) among novices. Thirty-six young male novices, aged 15-18 years, from a summer tennis program participated. Following initial skill acquisition (12 sessions), baseline assessments of imagery ability and imagery perspective preference were used to assign participants to one of three groups: internal imagery ( n = 12), external imagery ( n = 12), or a no-imagery (mental math exercise) control group ( n = 12). The experimental interventions of 15 minutes of mental imagery (internal or external) or mental math exercises followed by 15 minutes of physical practice were held three times a week for six weeks. The performance accuracy of the groups on the serve, forehand, and backhand strokes was measured at pre- and post-test using videotaping. Results showed significant increases in the performance accuracy of all three tennis strokes in all three groups, but serve accuracy in the internal imagery group and forehand accuracy in the external imagery group showed greater improvements, while backhand accuracy was similarly improved in all three groups. These findings highlight differential efficacy of internal and external visual imagery for performance improvement on complex sport skills in early stage motor learning.

Inter-individual neural differences in movement imagery abilities

ObjectivesBuilding on mounting evidence distinguishing the neurological basis of different movement imagery abilities (visual versus kinesthetic), this study compared brain activity (i.e., blood flow changes) through functional magnetic resonance imaging elicited by movement imagery in participants self-reporting good and poor imagery abilities with the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3. Participants also completed the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire-2. Method: Thirty-seven females (good imagery ability = 18; poor imagery ability = 19) were randomly presented with four experimental conditions (i.e., Kinesthetic, Internal Perspective, External Perspective and Rest) counterbalanced for condition, during three separate 11-min functional brain scans. Results: Kinesthetic and visual (internal/external) subscale mean differences of the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire-2 favored good imagers and high Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 inter-scale correlations evidenced convergent validity. As in prior published work, kinesthetic, internal, and external visual imagery elicited distinct patterns of brain activation relative to rest. Overall, the patterns of brain activity in the good and poor imager groups were remarkably similar, indicating that they both generally relied on a similar brain network during movement imagery. Conclusions: Contrary to processing efficiency hypotheses (i.e., neural efficiency hypothesis) we report that during kinesthetic imagery and external visual imagery only, good imagers actually activated a greater number of spatially distinct cortical sites than did poor imagers. Furthermore, research is needed to fully characterize the neural signature of movement imagery in good and poor imagers. Such research is critical to the appropriate creation and proper application of neuroscience-inspired movement imagery-based learning interventions in healthy and clinical populations.

Reliability and validity of the Polish version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3)

&lt;b&gt;Background&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Imagery is often beneficial not only in gaining a psychological advantage when competing but also in building self-esteem and self-confidence. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Polish adaptation of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3), consisting of 12 questions measuring 3 dimensions: visual internal imagery, visual external imagery and kinesthetic imagery.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Participants and procedure&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; A sample of athletes (N = 276 – 102 women, 174 men (M = 21.25, SD = 6.35)) of various disciplines (football, volleyball, karate, swimming, etc.) with different sport experience (from recreation to the national team) filled in the MIQ-3 questionnaire in the Polish language.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Results&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; The results of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with maximum likelihood confirmed that the established three-factor model reflects well the relationships observed in the respondents’ answers (satisfactory value of RMSEA below the recommended value of .05 (RMSEA = .04) and a high value of the index above .90 CFI (CFI = .93)). Reliability indicators (composite reliability – CR) observed for individual factors indicated a very high internal consistency (external visual imagery = .75, internal visual imagery = .79 and kinesthetic imagery = .82). The results indicated that good stability and internal consistency were maintained over a 3-week period. In addition, analyses were examined across age, level of experience and gender.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Conclusions&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; The results of the present study support the psychometric properties of the Polish adaptation of the MIQ-3.