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Assessing motor imagery using the hand rotation task: does performance change across childhood?
Michael L Butson1, Christian Hyde2, Bert Steenbergen3
1Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living and College of Sport and Exercise Science, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.
Human Movement Science
|May 13, 2014
Summary
Children develop motor imagery skills between ages 5-12. Accuracy improves with age, while efficiency is predicted by age and motor skill, suggesting neural efficiency gains.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- Motor imagery, the mental simulation of movements, is crucial for motor skill development.
- Understanding the developmental trajectory of motor imagery in children is essential for educational and therapeutic interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the age at which children can perform the hand rotation task, a measure of motor imagery.
- To investigate developmental changes in motor imagery performance.
- To examine the influence of age and motor skill on children's motor imagery.
Main Methods:
- A hand rotation task was administered to 101 children aged 5-12 years.
- Performance was assessed based on response time (RT) and accuracy.
- Statistical analyses were used to explore the relationship between age, motor skill, and efficiency (RT/accuracy).
Main Results:
- Task completion accuracy significantly increased with age, with 90% of children aged 9+ succeeding.
- From age 7, performance metrics (RT and accuracy) began aligning with biomechanical constraints.
- While RT did not improve, accuracy improved, and efficiency (RT/accuracy) increased with age.
Conclusions:
- Motor imagery ability shows significant development throughout childhood, particularly from age 7 onwards.
- Age and motor skill level are key predictors of motor imagery efficiency.
- Improvements in motor imagery are linked to enhanced neural efficiency, necessitating a multidisciplinary research approach.
