Research Impact: Simulation states like motor imagery (MI) and action observation (AO) have been areas of considerable historic research interest in cognitive psychology. Both MI and AO have been previously demonstrated to enhance motor skill performance independently. Recent emerging evidence is beginning to suggest that the combined application of MI during AO (AO+MI) may be more effective at enhancing performance than either AO or MI alone. Our research adds to this emerging research by comparing the effectiveness of an AO+MI intervention to a control group on a golf putting task in a group of skilled golfers.
Highlights were:
- Self-reported kinaesthetic imagery ability moderates the effectiveness of an AO + MI intervention for speed/pace control
- Good kinaesthetic imagers who received AO+MI intervention outperformed a control group on consistency measures of precision.
- Differences in putting for good kinaesthetic imagers in AO+MI/Control groups may be due to better perception-action coupling.
McNeill, E., Ramsbottom, N., Toth, A. and Campbell, M.J., 2019. Kinaesthetic imagery ability moderates the effect of an AO+ MI intervention on golf putt performance: A pilot study. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, p.101610. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.101610
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