Imagery Ability and Imagery Perspective Preference: A Study of Their Relationship and Age- and Gender-Related Changes

Abstract

This study examined if imagery ability (i.e., vividness and temporal congruence between imagined and executed knee extensions) and imagery perspective preference were affected by ageing and gender. Ninety-four participants, 31 young, 43 intermediate, and 20 older adults completed the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire-2 and a knee extension temporal congruence test to reflect on their imagery ability and an imagery perspective preference test. Male participants had a better imagery ability than the female participants (F 4,85=2.84, p=.029, η2=.118). However, significant age-related changes in imagery ability were not found in the three age groups. Change in imagery perspective preference with a trend towards an external imagery perspective was observed with ageing (F 3,89=3.16, p=.028, η2=.096) but not between male and female. The results suggest that imagery ability may be preserved with ageing. As individuals age, their preference for using an imagery perspective shifts from a more internal to a more external perspective. This understanding is important when designing future imagery research and real-life application or clinical intervention.

Kinesthetic vs. visual focus: No evidence for effects of practice modality in representation types after action imagery practice and action execution practice

“…One may argue, that some participants would naturally prefer the third-person perspective over the first-person perspective ( Callow & Roberts, 2012 ; Liu, Lai, Fong, & Bissett, 2019 ; Spittle & Morris, 2007 ). Hence, it may have been difficult for them to perform imagery from a first-person perspective as instructed.…”

Experience in sports and music influences implicit motor imagery

“…MI ability is subject to individual differences (e.g., Kosslyn, 1980Kosslyn, , 1999Richardson, 1994) which have been investigated in relation to various factors such as age, gender, experience, and training (Isaac & Marks, 1994;Ladda et al, 2021;Liu et al, 2019;Subirats et al, 2018). For example, effects of age on MI ability have been reported based on measures including vividness, chronometry (correspondence between physical and imagined movement time), and implicit tasks such as hand laterality judgement (e.g., Bek, Humphries, et al, 2022a;Malouin et al, 2010;Subirats et al, 2018;Wang et al, 2019; for review see Saimpont et al, 2013).…”

Reliability of the Spanish Version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3) and Characteristics of Motor Imagery in Institutionalized Elderly People

“…Liu et al [ 30 ] compared MI ability among populations distributed by gender and in three age ranges. They concluded that temporal congruency is preserved with age for simple and usual movements and is impaired for limited and unusual movements.…”