Research on Motor Imagery (MI), the ability to mentally rehearse motor acts without overt body movements, has suffered the lack of clarity in four main thematic areas (Gabbard, 2009; Madan, Singhal, 2012): 1) different definitions of visual imagery (VI) and MI, 2) unawareness to evoke MI automatically (without conscious intent) rather than deliberatley (where participants intentionally imagine), 3) the individual differences in MI ability are rarely taken into account, 4) partly different results in the neural correlates of MI due to the equivocality of the previous points. In light of this, the general objectives of the project are 1) propose methodological solutions and 2) study MI development. Study 1. We longitudinally studied 15 children from 23 to 37 months during a two months psychomotor intervention. We divided them into a MI and a no-MI (nMI) group respectively, automatically evoking these two abilities with short stories. To assess motor, cognitive, social and linguistic development of children we used the “Ages and Stages Questionnaire - Third Edition”(ASQ-3) (Squires, Bricker, 2009) completed by their parents twice in total, before the start of the intervention and immediately after the end. A repeated measure Anova carried out separately for the MI and nMI group showed a significant “time” effect in the “MI group” [F (1,7)= 5,645; p= 0,049] in problem solving. We can conclude that motor imagery may influence problem solving in preschool children. Study 2. The aim of the study 2 is to build an objective measure of the goodness of MI ability (kinesthetic imagery and visual motor imagery) in young adults (18-35 y.o.) that have high or low motor expertise. In this regard, it has been designed the “Kinesthetic and Visual Motor Imagery Index” (KVMII) and a mini Kinesthetic and Visual Motor Imagery Index”(m-KVMII) that is an extention and a revisitation of the “Motor Imagery Index” by Collet and colleagues (2011). The KVMII and the m-KVMII scores are correlated with neuropsychophysiological variables and the neural activations with high density electroencephalography (HD-EEG).Study 3. We suppose that the MI quality could be linked to psychophysiological and environmental conditions consciously perceived by the athletes during the sport season. Furthermore, the aim of study 3 is to investigate what are these possible specific conditions. 58 young adults, practicing competitive and non-competitive sports completed the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire – 2 (VMIQ-2) (Roberts, et al, 2008) and REST-Q 76 Sport (Kellmann, Kallus, 2001). Participants were divided in highs (HMI) and lows (LMI) motor imagers according to the median of the total scores of the VMIQ-2. ANOVA yielded significant differences between HMI and LMI in the visual internal perspective in fitness/being in shape (F(1,56) = 6.2, d = 0.69), self-regulation (F(1,56) = 10.0, d = 0.85) and burnout/personal accomplishment (F(1,56) = 5.5, d = 0.62). In addition, significant differences were found in the total VMIQ-2 scores in burnout/personal accomplishment (F(1,56) = 5.1, d = 0.52). Our study proposes that the just mentioned conditions may be different according to the MI vividness.

Motor imagery: from neuropsychophysiological assessment to mental training in sport psychology / Di Gruttola, Francesco. - ELETTRONICO. - (2016), pp. 0-0. (Intervento presentato al convegno "The Contribution Of Motor Imagery And Action Observation On Sports Performance: Between Theory And Practice" tenutosi a Pisa, Italy nel 4-5 March 2016).

Motor imagery: from neuropsychophysiological assessment to mental training in sport psychology.

DI GRUTTOLA, FRANCESCO
2016

Abstract

Research on Motor Imagery (MI), the ability to mentally rehearse motor acts without overt body movements, has suffered the lack of clarity in four main thematic areas (Gabbard, 2009; Madan, Singhal, 2012): 1) different definitions of visual imagery (VI) and MI, 2) unawareness to evoke MI automatically (without conscious intent) rather than deliberatley (where participants intentionally imagine), 3) the individual differences in MI ability are rarely taken into account, 4) partly different results in the neural correlates of MI due to the equivocality of the previous points. In light of this, the general objectives of the project are 1) propose methodological solutions and 2) study MI development. Study 1. We longitudinally studied 15 children from 23 to 37 months during a two months psychomotor intervention. We divided them into a MI and a no-MI (nMI) group respectively, automatically evoking these two abilities with short stories. To assess motor, cognitive, social and linguistic development of children we used the “Ages and Stages Questionnaire - Third Edition”(ASQ-3) (Squires, Bricker, 2009) completed by their parents twice in total, before the start of the intervention and immediately after the end. A repeated measure Anova carried out separately for the MI and nMI group showed a significant “time” effect in the “MI group” [F (1,7)= 5,645; p= 0,049] in problem solving. We can conclude that motor imagery may influence problem solving in preschool children. Study 2. The aim of the study 2 is to build an objective measure of the goodness of MI ability (kinesthetic imagery and visual motor imagery) in young adults (18-35 y.o.) that have high or low motor expertise. In this regard, it has been designed the “Kinesthetic and Visual Motor Imagery Index” (KVMII) and a mini Kinesthetic and Visual Motor Imagery Index”(m-KVMII) that is an extention and a revisitation of the “Motor Imagery Index” by Collet and colleagues (2011). The KVMII and the m-KVMII scores are correlated with neuropsychophysiological variables and the neural activations with high density electroencephalography (HD-EEG).Study 3. We suppose that the MI quality could be linked to psychophysiological and environmental conditions consciously perceived by the athletes during the sport season. Furthermore, the aim of study 3 is to investigate what are these possible specific conditions. 58 young adults, practicing competitive and non-competitive sports completed the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire – 2 (VMIQ-2) (Roberts, et al, 2008) and REST-Q 76 Sport (Kellmann, Kallus, 2001). Participants were divided in highs (HMI) and lows (LMI) motor imagers according to the median of the total scores of the VMIQ-2. ANOVA yielded significant differences between HMI and LMI in the visual internal perspective in fitness/being in shape (F(1,56) = 6.2, d = 0.69), self-regulation (F(1,56) = 10.0, d = 0.85) and burnout/personal accomplishment (F(1,56) = 5.5, d = 0.62). In addition, significant differences were found in the total VMIQ-2 scores in burnout/personal accomplishment (F(1,56) = 5.1, d = 0.52). Our study proposes that the just mentioned conditions may be different according to the MI vividness.
2016
Proceedings of the I^ European Seminar "Sport & Exercise Psychology Under the Leaning Tower"
"The Contribution Of Motor Imagery And Action Observation On Sports Performance: Between Theory And Practice"
Pisa, Italy
Di Gruttola, Francesco
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in FLORE sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/1056533
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact