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Bilateral transfer as a function of mental imagery.
1Department of Psychology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA.
Journal of Motor Behavior
|September 1, 1980
Summary
Mental imagery and physical practice both facilitate skill transfer between hands. However, mental imagery appears more robust, unaffected by work decrement that can hinder physical practice during motor skill learning.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Motor Learning
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Bilateral transfer of motor skills, where practice with one limb improves performance with the contralateral limb, is a well-documented phenomenon.
- The precise mechanisms underlying this transfer, particularly the role of mental imagery versus physical practice, remain an area of active investigation.
- Work decrement, a decline in performance due to fatigue or boredom, can potentially confound studies on motor skill transfer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of mental imagery in the bilateral transfer of rotary pursuit skill.
- To compare the effectiveness of mental imagery versus physical rehearsal in promoting contralateral limb transfer.
- To examine the influence of work decrement on motor skill transfer and differentiate its effects from imagery-based transfer.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted using a rotary pursuit task.
- Participants engaged in physical practice, mental imagery, or a control condition with their dominant (right) hand.
- Transfer to the non-dominant (left) hand was assessed, with Experiment 2 specifically designed to mitigate work decrement effects.
Main Results:
- Both mental imagery and physical rehearsal demonstrated significant positive transfer in Experiment 1.
- Experiment 2 revealed no significant difference between mental imagery and physical rehearsal, even when controlling for work decrement.
- Experiment 3 confirmed the presence of work decrement in both physical and mental rehearsal conditions and replicated the positive transfer effects of mental imagery.
Conclusions:
- Mental imagery is an effective strategy for inducing bilateral transfer of motor skills, comparable to physical practice.
- Work decrement can negatively impact performance in physical rehearsal, potentially masking or reducing observed transfer effects.
- The findings suggest that central (e.g., cognitive) mechanisms may play a significant role in motor skill transfer facilitated by mental imagery.