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EFFECT OF MOTOR IMAGERY WITH LOCOMOTION ON THROWING ACCURACY OF RECREATIONALLY ACTIVE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

The use of motor imagery (MI) with locomotion is a skill that may assist in performance improvement. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of MI with and without locomotion on throwing accuracy in recreationally active college students at Whitworth University. METHODS: Sixteen college-aged, recreationally active males (n = 8) and females (n = 8; age: 20.75 ± 0.93 years) completed three throwing sessions: a MI only session, a MI with locomotion session (e.g. concurrent rehearsal of the throwing motion), and a control session in which neither MI nor locomotion was used. The order of the throwing sessions was randomly determined for each participant. A repeated measures ANOVA (significance level p ≤ 0.05) was utilized to determine the existence of significant differences in radial error between experimental conditions. RESULTS: No statistical differences were observed between conditions for throwing accuracy (MI: 27.6 ± 5.8 cm, MI with locomotion: 26.2 ± 6.9 cm, control: 25.4 ± 6.8 cm; p = 0.34). CONCLUSION: Under these research conditions, both MI alone and MI with locomotion did not improve throwing accuracy. The participants’ lack of imagery proficiency coupled with a low MI practice frequency may have caused participants’ MI to be ineffective. In addition, there may have been a learning effect across sessions. The present study had a high observed beta (β = 0.79) and low statistical power (0.22). Any further research in MI training should test a larger sample size and reduce confounding variables, such as MI ability and outside distractions.

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