Individual differences in the mental practice and imagery of motor skill performance.

Abstract

The role of mental practice in motor skill learning is briefly reviewed, and the relationship between mental practice and imagery discussed. A case is made for the importance of considering individual differences for imagery in motor studies investigating mental practice. Studies that have examined imagery ability in the motor domain are outlined, and the reasons are addressed why a consistent relationship between imagery ability and motor performance has failed to emerge. Finally, an approach for investigating imagery ability is suggested. This approach concentrates on the inclusion and interaction of three imagery related variables: the measurement of imagery ability, the task to be performed, and the imagery instructions that are given to the subjects.