The effects of internal representations on performance and fluidity in a motor task

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Motor Control
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Individual differences exist in conscious thought experiences, specifically visualization and verbalization.
• These representational differences may influence motor control.
• The Internal Representation Questionnaire (IRQ) assesses these representational styles, but its predictive validity for motor control and links to reinvestment and motor imagery require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the predictive ability of the Internal Representation Questionnaire (IRQ) for motor control.
• To examine the relationship between the IRQ, movement-specific reinvestment, and motor imagery.
• To investigate how individual differences in internal representations affect motor performance and movement fluidity.

Main Methods:

• 159 participants completed the IRQ, Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale (MSRS), and a novel online motor task.
• Motor tasks were performed before and after a practice period.
• Statistical analyses were used to assess predictive relationships between questionnaire factors and motor performance metrics.

Main Results:

• IRQ Verbal and Orthographic factors predicted Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale (MSRS) scores.
• The IRQ Manipulational Representations factor predicted motor performance both pre- and post-practice.
• Higher propensity to verbalize correlated with increased movement jitter after practice, suggesting a link between verbalization and motor control fluidity.

Conclusions:

• The IRQ demonstrates potential as a tool for predicting motor performance, particularly in novel tasks.
• There appears to be conceptual overlap between internal verbalizations and reinvestment.
• Individual differences in manipulating internal representations are significant predictors of motor skill acquisition and execution.