Movement Imagery Questionnaire Research Articles

Grasping Variance in Word Norms: Individual Differences in Motor Imagery and Semantic Ratings.

Word norming datasets have become an important resource for psycholinguistic research, and they are based on the underlying assumption that individual differences are inconsequential to the measurement of semantic dimensions. In this pre-registered study we tested this assumption by examining whether individual differences in motor imagery are related to variance in semantic ratings. We collected graspability ratings (i.e., how easily a word's referent can be grasped using one hand) for 350 words and also had each participant complete a series of motor imagery questionnaires. Using linear mixed effect models we tested whether measures of motor imagery ability (e.g., the Florida Praxis Imagery Questionnaire and the Test of Ability in Movement Imagery for Hands) and motor imagery vividness (e.g., the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire 2) could account for variance (raw and absolute difference scores) in graspability ratings. We observed a significant relationship between motor imagery vividness and absolute rating difference scores, wherein people with more vivid motor imagery provided ratings that were further from the mean word ratings. However there was no relationship between motor imagery and raw rating difference scores. The results suggest that there are measurable systematic differences in how participants make sensorimotor semantic ratings, which has implications for how sensorimotor semantic word norms are used for investigations of lexical semantic processing.

Muscle relaxation enhances motor imagery capacity in people with anxiety: A randomized clinical trial.

Motor imagery is the mental representation of a movement without physical execution. When motor imagery is performed to enhance motor learning and performance, participants must reach a temporal congruence between the imagined and actual movement execution. Identifying factors that can influence this capacity could enhance the effectiveness of motor imagery programs. Anxiety frequently occurs in sports and rehabilitation where motor imagery is a relevant technique. It is associated with increased muscle tension and impairs the memory processes involved in motor imagery. This study aimed to determine whether muscle relaxation before motor imagery practice can influence motor imagery capacity and temporal congruence in anxious individuals, during internal and external visual imagery, and kinesthetic imagery. A randomized clinical trial was conducted in 55 young adults (20.3±2.8 years; 40 females; 15 males) with anxiety (percentile ≥75% on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). 26 participants were assigned to the relaxation group and 29 to the control group through stratified randomization. Motor imagery capacity and temporal congruence were assessed using the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 at 2 points (t1 and t2). Between t1 and t2, participants in the relaxation group underwent abbreviated progressive relaxation training. Electrodermal activity and heart rate variability were recorded to evaluate the relaxation effect. Data revealed a significant improvement in motor imagery capacity in the relaxation group, while the temporal congruence was not impaired in both groups. Pre-motor imagery muscle relaxation might improve motor imagery capacity in anxious individuals. This finding may contribute to better tailor motor imagery programs and to adjust motor imagery guidelines and recommendations for people with anxiety. This study has been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04973956).

Imagery vividness and perspectives in women’s artistic gymnastics training

This study aimed to examine imagery vividness and different modalities and perspectives in women’s artistic gymnastics. It explored athletes’ imagery use in training practice and how vivid imagery is developed for different motor tasks. Forty-seven female athletes (age 19 ± 3 years), with women’s artistic gymnastics expertise (12 ± 4 years) participated in this study. The Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire (Dahm et al., 2019) was used to determine the imagery vividness of the participants for the different imagery modalities and perspectives respectively: external–visual, internal–visual, and kinaesthetic. The ANOVA results showed no differences between the most vivid imagery for age (F[3] = 0.724, p = .54) and expertise (F[4] = 0.091, p = .97). T-test results revealed differences in the imagery vividness of the kinaesthetic imagery depending on the gymnasts’ activity as a coach (F[45] = 5.280, p < .05). To benefit from imagery use in training (e.g. to adjust coaching), the most vivid imagery modality and perspective must be determined individually. These results emphasise the need for skill-specific assessments of imagery modalities and perspectives to benefit from individualised imagery-adapted instructions.

Imagery Ability and Body Image as Psychological Factors Connected to Predisposition to Orthorexia Among Female Team Sport Athletes

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the associations between imagery ability, body image, and orthorexia. Methods: One hundred female players of team sports such as basketball, volleyball and handball with experience of over 11 years (M=11.48, SD=2.85) took part in the study. The participants filled in an information form, including their age and sports training experience, as well as a set of questionnaires concerning orthorexia, imagery ability, and body image. The Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire (SIAQ), Vividness Movement Imagery Questionnaire-2 (VMIQ-2), The Body Esteem Scale (BES) questionnaire, and the ORTO-15 questionnaire were used in this study. Results: The higher the scores on the Mastery subscale the lower the predisposition to orthorexia. We found a significant negative association between body image and the Mastery subscale of imagery with a predisposition to orthorexia. Findings revealed that Mastery imagery subscale and sexual attractiveness were significant predictors of higher orthorexia predisposition. Conclusions: The present paper revealed new factors which may influence the knowledge about orthorexia predispositions related to athletic populations.

Developmental trajectories of motor imagery in relation to physical fitness in children aged 7 to 14 years: A 1-year follow-up study

Motor imagery (MI) is fundamentally linked to the motor system. It improves motor learning and optimizes motor actions without physical execution, highlighting its unique role in rehabilitation programs and motor performance. Understanding the developmental trajectories of MI and the factors influencing its variability across ages could enable more effective, age-specific strategies for pediatric rehabilitation. This study assessed 65 children aged 7 to 14 years at two time points 1 year apart. MI ability was assessed using the Movement Imagery Questionnaire for Children, and physical fitness was evaluated using the SLOfit testing battery. Among the three perspectives assessed; internal visual imagery (IVI), external visual imagery (EVI), and kinesthetic imagery (KI), KI was unique in not correlating with age at both time points. The development of MI perspectives varied between athletes and non-athletes, with non-athletes showing a decline in IVI compared with athletes. This differential was further evidenced by significant differences in KI between the groups at the second assessment, with a similar trend observed at the first assessment. Of the physical fitness tests, only the 600-m run correlated consistently with KI at both assessments. Our findings suggest that regular participation in sports significantly affects KI performance, highlighting the importance of sports participation for the development of MI abilities in children. Future research should examine additional assessment points in different age groups and sport experience to better understand the development of MI and its potential implications for pediatric rehabilitation.

Influence of Motor Imagery Modality on First-Serve Performance in Tennis Players.

Motor imagery (MI) is frequently used in tennis players. This pilot study aimed to assess whether the MI modality and preference of skilled tennis players could influence their service performance when using MI before serving first balls. Twenty expert players (Mage = 18.6years) completed the movement imagery questionnaire (third version) to assess their MI modality scores (internal visual, external visual, and kinesthetic) and their MI preference. Participants completed 4 experimental counterbalanced sessions spread over 4weeks, each including the completion of 20 first-serve balls in match condition. The sessions included a control condition (i.e.,only physical practice trials) and three MI conditions during which the players had to mentally imagine themselves performing a serve according to one of the imagery modalities, either internal visual, external visual, or kinesthetic, before serving. The percentage of success, the speed of the service balls (measured by a tablet with SWING VISION and a radar gun), and an efficiency score were recorded and then evaluated by experts and served as performance indicators and dependent variables. The results of this study showed that players benefited from MI before serving and that almost a third of the participants achieved a higher percentage of success and efficiency scores when using their preferred MI modality. These results lead us, in an applied way, to suggest to skilled tennis players to determine their MI preference and to have recourse to the mental simulation of a successful serve before serving the first balls in match condition.

Development and Validation of the Combined Action Observation and Motor Imagery Ability Questionnaire.

Combined use of action observation and motor imagery (AOMI) is an increasingly popular motor-simulation intervention, which involves observing movements on video while simultaneously imagining the feeling of movement execution. Measuring and reporting participant imagery-ability characteristics are essential in motor-simulation research, but no measure of AOMI ability currently exists. Accordingly, the AOMI Ability Questionnaire (AOMI-AQ) was developed to address this gap in the literature. In Study 1, two hundred eleven participants completed the AOMI-AQ and the kinesthetic imagery subscales of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 and Vividness of Motor Imagery Questionnaire-2. Following exploratory factor analysis, an 8-item AOMI-AQ was found to correlate positively with existing motor-imagery measures. In Study 2, one hundred seventy-four participants completed the AOMI-AQ for a second time after a period of 7-10days. Results indicate a good test-retest reliability for the AOMI-AQ. The new AOMI-AQ measure provides a valid and reliable tool for researchers and practitioners wishing to assess AOMI ability.

An eight-week single-blind randomised controlled trial on dual task balance training and motor imagery practice in ischaemic stroke survivors.

The purpose of this study was to find the effects of motor imagery on balance and mobility of stroke patients.This was a single-blind randomised controlled trial which included a total of 30 patients. These patients were assigned into two group: experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) by sealed envelope method. Functional Reach Test (FRT), Time Up and Go Test (TUGT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Movement Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ) were used as assessment tools. The overall mean age of the participants was 52.63 ±8.78 years. Between groups analysis showed non-statistically significant difference (p>0.05) in FRT but significant difference in TUGT, BBS, and MIQ-3 (p<0.009) after eight weeks of training. Within group analysis showed statistically significant difference (p<0.05) for all outcome measures. This study concluded that motor imagery is an effective treatment strategy for improving balance and mobility in stroke patients and brings better results as compared to conventional treatments.

Motor imagery ability scores are related to cortical activation during gait imagery

Motor imagery (MI) is the mental execution of actions without overt movements that depends on the ability to imagine. We explored whether this ability could be related to the cortical activity of the brain areas involved in the MI network. To this goal, brain activity was recorded using high-density electroencephalography in nineteen healthy adults while visually imagining walking on a straight path. We extracted Event-Related Desynchronizations (ERDs) in the θ, α, and β band, and we measured MI ability via (i) the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ), (ii) the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire-2 (VMIQ), and (iii) the Imagery Ability (IA) score. We then used Pearson’s and Spearman’s coefficients to correlate MI ability scores and average ERD power (avgERD). Positive correlations were identified between VMIQ and avgERD of the middle cingulum in the β band and with avgERD of the left insula, right precentral area, and right middle occipital region in the θ band. Stronger activation of the MI network was related to better scores of MI ability evaluations, supporting the importance of testing MI ability during MI protocols. This result will help to understand MI mechanisms and develop personalized MI treatments for patients with neurological dysfunctions.

Biopsychosocial Analysis of Imagery in Elite Athletes

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between elite athletes' imagery abilities and their body awareness, plank stance duration, psychological and social skills.&#x0D; Material and Methods: The study included 53 healthy elite athletes (female:32, male:21). The imagery abilities of the athletes were evaluated using the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3. A Body Awareness Questionnaire was used for body awareness assessment. Plank stance duration, psychological and social skill levels were evaluated using Sport Specific Core Muscle Strength and Stability Plank Test, Athletic Psychological Skills Inventory and Social Skills Inventory, respectively.&#x0D; Results: External and kinesthetic imagery was found to correlate with body awareness (r=0.33, p=0.02; r=0.39, p

Pain characteristics and imagery ability in patients with familial Mediterranean fever

Abstract Objectives Assessing imagery ability could be important for clinicians to understand or speculate on the limit of a patient’s physical ability in chronic pain conditions. We aimed to assess imagery ability that is potentially affected in patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). In addition, pain characteristics and associational factors between pain and imagery abilities were examined. Methods Patients with FMF group (n=30) and control group (n=30) were included into the study. Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3) was questioned in both groups to assess imagery ability. McGill Pain Questionnaire Form (MPQ) and Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) were used to assess pain. Results There was a statistically significant difference in all sub-scores of the MIQ-3 imagery levels between FMF and the control group (p&lt;0.05). Mean value for PCS was 23.27 ± 12.52 in which 13 (43.3 %) of the patients had higher scores than 30 indicating catastrophic thoughts. Conclusions It was determined that the imagery scores of the patients with FMF were lower than the control group. Patients who had catastrophic thoughts showed more scores in IVI scores indicating that the attention processes of these patients to their bodies might be affected. Further large-scale, long-term, prospective, randomized-controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and validity of the Greek version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3)

Abstract Objectives Motor imagery is widely used to enhance patients’ response to treatment via cognitive and neurophysiological processes. As a result, cross-cultural validation of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3) in the Greek population was deemed necessary. Methods The cross-cultural adaptation method in Greek was followed for the MIQ-3. It was then administered to 150 participants and its face, construct validity (exploratory factor analysis and known-groups validity), test-retest reliability, and internal consistency were assessed. Results The MIQ-3 demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.90). The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for test-retest reliability of each factor were low: ICC=0.049−0.293. However, the standard error of the measurement (SEM) data was within acceptable limits (13.5–17.2 % of the grand mean) for all three sub-sections of the MIQ-3. Factor analysis confirmed the three-factor structure of the questionnaire. No differences between male and female participants or those with different levels of athletic involvement (intensity of physical activity and practice level) were identified. Conclusions The MIQ-3 appears to be a valid instrument that can be used to assess motor imagery in a Greek population. It can be uniformly applied to participants of different sexes and athletic involvement. Its reliability, though, requires further research.

Futbolda Motor Becerinin Öğrenilmesinde Kombine Zihinsel ve Fiziksel Antrenmanın Değerlendirilmesi

Mental imagery is an essential element in the human movement system. Research in the sports psychology literature shows that training with motor imagery (mental practice) is an effective strategy for improving motor performance in planning and executing goal-directed movements. The primary objective of this study is to explore the impacts of integrating mental and physical training on the acquisition of a demanding football motor skill, specifically the "head kick." A total of 40 participants, consisting of 18 women and 22 men, who were students from the Physical Education &amp; Sports department at Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, were randomly divided into two groups: one group receiving combined physical education and mental practice, and the other group solely undergoing physical education training. The Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire–2 (VMIQ-2; Roberts et al., 2008) and video analysis procedure were used in this study. Based on the research problem, the Repeated Measure ANOVA test was used. Motor skill performance was assessed both before and after an eight-week training period. To gauge improvements in motor skill acquisition, three independent expert evaluators analyzed video recordings of the motor task before and after training in both situations. The findings highlighted that engaging in mental imagery exercises improved timing and coordination, emphasizing the potential effectiveness of this intervention for enhancing proficiency in intricate motor skills. These study findings also illustrate the practicality and precision of employing video-based motion analysis to gauge enhancements in motor performance.

Motor imagery ability in baseball players with throwing yips.

The motor imagery ability is closely related to an individual's motor performance in sports. However, whether motor imagery ability is diminished in athletes with yips, in whom motor performance is impaired, is unclear. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to determine whether general motor imagery ability or vividness of motor imagery specific to throwing motion is impaired in baseball players with throwing yips. The study enrolled 114 college baseball players. They were classified into three groups: 33 players in the yips group, 26 in the recovered group (previously had yips symptoms but had resolved them), and 55 in the control group. They answered the revised version of the vividness of movement imagery questionnaire (VMIQ-2), which assesses general motor imagery ability. Furthermore, they completed a questionnaire that assesses both positive and negative motor imagery vividness specific to baseball throwing. In the former, they responded to their ability to vividly imagine accurately throwing a controlled ball, whereas in the latter, they responded to the vividness of their experience of negative motor imagery associated with baseball throwing, specifically the image of a wild throw. No significant difference in the VMIQ-2 was found among the three groups. While no significant difference in the vividness of positive motor imagery for ball throwing was found in either first-person visual or kinesthetic perspectives among the three groups, the yips group exhibited significantly higher vividness of negative motor imagery than the control group in both perspectives. These results indicate that negative motor imagery specific to baseball throwing may be associated with symptoms of yips. Therefore, interventions addressing psychological aspects, such as anxiety, which are potential causes of the generation of negative motor imagery, may be necessary to alleviate the symptoms of yips.

Cross cultural adaptation, validity and reliability of the Greek version of the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire-2 (VMIQ-2)

The VMIQ-2 has been proven a valid and useful psychometric tool to measure the ability of vividness of movement imagery in sports. However, no validity study has been reported in Greek. The purpose of the present study was to examine the validity and reliability of the VMIQ-2 into Greek in adult athletes derived from various sports activities and different athletic levels. The VMIQ-2-GR (n = 160) was examined for translation, construct and discriminant validity, and also for internal consistency and test–retest reliability. CFA did not show acceptable global fit indices and only the index of (x2/df) showed an acceptable fit. The resulting factors of the EFA highlighted the discrepancy between the Greek version and the original version of the VMIQ-2. The results of the discriminant validity confirmed that the VMIQ-2-GR was well discriminated between subgroups of athletes and, therefore, showed a good discriminant validity. The Cronbach a coefficient was excellent at both measurements (> 0.92 in all cases for all factors). The Spearman rho correlation coefficients were statistically significant (< 0.001) with values > 0.47. The findings of the VMIQ-2–GR suggest that it is a valid and reliable tool and it can be used by sports psychologists, sports physiotherapists, coaches and researchers who aim to apply MI in the Greek athletic population.

Study of the Correlation between the Motor Ability of the Individual Upper Limbs and Motor Imagery Induced Neural Activities.

Motor imagery based brain-computer interfaces (MI-BCIs) have excellent application prospects in motor enhancement and rehabilitation. However, MI-induced electroencephalogram features applied to MI-BCI usually vary from person to person. This study aimed to investigate whether the motor ability of the individual upper limbs was associated with these features, which helps understand the causes of inter-subject variability. We focused on the behavioral and psychological factors reflecting motor abilities. We first obtained the behavioral scale scores from Edinburgh Handedness Questionnaire, Maximum Grip Strength Test, and Purdue Pegboard Test assessments to evaluate the motor execution ability. We also required the subjects to complete the psychological Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 estimate, representing MI ability. Then we recorded EEG signals from all twenty-two subjects during MI tasks. Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression were used to analyze the relationships between MI-induced relative event-related desynchronization (rERD) patterns and motor abilities. Both Purdue Pegboard Test and Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 scores had significant correlations with MI-induced neural oscillation patterns. Notably, the Purdue Pegboard Test of the left hand had the most significant correlation with the alpha rERD. The results of stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the Purdue Pegboard Test and Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 could best predict the MI-induced rERD. The results demonstrate that hand dexterity and fine motor coordination are significantly related to MI-induced neural activities. In addition, the method of imagining is also relevant to MI features. Therefore, this study is meaningful for understanding individual differences and the design of user-centered MI-BCI.

Differences in motor imagery abilities in active and sedentary individuals: new insights from backward-walking imagination

Evidence has shown that imagining a complex action, like backward-walking, helps improve the execution of the gesture. Despite this, studies in sport psychology have provided heterogeneous results on the use of motor imagery (MI) to improve performance. We aimed to fill this gap by analyzing how sport experience influences backward-walking MI processes in a sample of young women (n = 41, mean age = 21 ± 2.2) divided into Active and Sedentary. All participants were allocated to two randomized mental chronometric tasks, in which they had first to imagine and then execute forward-walking (FW) and backward-walking (BW). The Isochrony Efficiency measured the difference between imagination and execution times in both conditions (FW and BW). Moreover, we analyzed the ability to vividly imagine FW and BW within various perspectives in both groups through the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire (VMIQ-2). Findings showed that active individuals performed better in the BW imagery task when compared to sedentary ones (F1,39 = 4.98; p = 0.03*), while there were no differences between groups in the FW imagery task (F1,39 = .10; p = 0.75). Further, VMIQ-2 had evidenced that the ability to imagine backward is influenced by perspective used. Specifically, the use of internal visual imagery (IVI) led to worse Isochrony Efficiency (t32,25 = 2.16; p = 0.04*), while the use of kinesthetic imagery (KIN) led to better Isochrony Efficiency (t32,25 = − 2.34; p = 0.03*). These results suggest a close relation between motor experience and complex motor imagery processes and open new insights for studying these mental processes.

Defining and measuring motor imagery in children: mini review.

Motor imagery (MI) is the ability to engage in the mental representation of a task consciously or automatically without generating a voluntary movement. While the construct of MI and its various dimensions have been comprehensively studied in adults, research remains limited in children. Children as young as 5 years old can engage in MI, and this engagement is crucial to their motor development and skill acquisition. Further, the degree of skill achievement is directly linked to MI responsiveness. Clinicians and researchers often measure MI responsiveness in children to facilitate skill development and retention. However, few measures exist that can appropriately assess MI responsiveness in children. To date, a focused review examining the MI dimensions in children as well as comparing the characteristics of MI measures in children is lacking, and thus a research gap exists. This paper examines past and current research describing MI ability in children from the theoretical, developmental, and neurological lens and systematically analyzes the properties of three widely used operations - the movement imagery questionnaire in children (MIQ-C), the Florida praxis imaginary questionnaire (FPIQ-C), and the mental chronometry paradigm (MCP) - to measure MI and its dimensions in children.

Temporal perception in closed-skill sports: An experimental study on expert swimmers and runners

The cognitive benefits of closed-skill sports practice have so far been scantily investigated. Here, we thus focused on the potential impact of swimming and running - two sports that highly rely on a precise control of timing - on time processing. To investigate the impact of these closed-skill sports on time perception and estimation, three groups of participants (for a total of eighty-four young adults) took part in the present study: expert swimmers, expert runners, and non-athletes. The ability to process temporal information in the milliseconds and seconds range was assessed through a time reproduction and a finger-tapping tasks, while a motor imagery paradigm was adopted to assess temporal estimation of sport performance in a wider interval range. We also employed the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire to assess the individual's ability of motor imagery. Results showed that closed-skill sports, specifically time-related disciplines, enhance motor imagery and time perception abilities. Swimmers were more accurate and consistent in perceiving time when compared to runners, probably thanks to the sensory muffled environment that leads these athletes to be more focused on the perception of their internal rhythm.

The effect of graded motor imagery training on pain, functional performance, motor imagery skills, and kinesiophobia after total knee arthroplasty: randomized controlled trial.

The aim was to investigate the effect of graded motor imagery (GMI) added to rehabilitation on pain, functional performance, motor imagery ability, and kinesiophobia in individuals with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Individuals scheduled for unilateral TKA were randomized to one of two groups: control (traditional rehabilitation, n = 9) and GMI (traditional rehabilitation + GMI, n = 9) groups. The primary outcome measures were the visual analogue scale and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Secondary outcome measures were knee range of motion, muscle strength, the timed up and go test, mental chronometer, Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3, lateralization performance, Central Sensitization Inventory, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale. Evaluations were made before and 6 weeks after surgery. Activity and resting pain were significantly reduced in the GMI group compared to the control group (P < 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively). Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 scores and accuracy of lateralization performance also showed significant improvement (P = 0.037 and P = 0.015, respectively). The Pain Catastrophizing Scale and Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale scores were also significantly decreased in the GMI group compared to the control group (P = 0.039 and P = 0.009, respectively). However, GMI did not differ significantly in WOMAC scores, range of motion, muscle strength, timed up and go test and Central Sensitization Inventory scores compared to the control group (P > 0.05). GMI improved pain, motor imagery ability, pain catastrophizing, and kinesiophobia in the acute period after TKA.