The facial feedback hypothesis and automatic mimicry in perception of sung emotion

Facial mimicry in response to emotional and neutral singing was tested in the context of an emotion judgment task. Participants were tested in two conditions, Perception (n=16) and Imagery (n=21). Participants were presented with video clips showing a singer expressing happy, neutral and sad emotions, and were asked to identify the expressed emotions, as well as rate their intensity. Participants in the Perception group were asked to simply watch the video clips, while participants in the Imagery group were also asked to imagine imitating the song fragment after watching the model singer. Facial electromyography was used to monitor acitivity in the corrugator supercilii and zygomaticus major muscles. Results showed more corrugator muscle activity for sad than happy trials, and more zygomaticus activity for happy than sad trials. No differences were found between conditions, suggesting that mimicry is an automatic process, not requiring encouragement prompted by imagery.

The facial feedback hypothesis and automatic mimicry in perception of sung emotion

Facial mimicry in response to emotional and neutral singing was tested in the context of an emotion judgment task. Participants were tested in two conditions, Perception (n=16) and Imagery (n=21). Participants were presented with video clips showing a singer expressing happy, neutral and sad emotions, and were asked to identify the expressed emotions, as well as rate their intensity. Participants in the Perception group were asked to simply watch the video clips, while participants in the Imagery group were also asked to imagine imitating the song fragment after watching the model singer. Facial electromyography was used to monitor acitivity in the corrugator supercilii and zygomaticus major muscles. Results showed more corrugator muscle activity for sad than happy trials, and more zygomaticus activity for happy than sad trials. No differences were found between conditions, suggesting that mimicry is an automatic process, not requiring encouragement prompted by imagery.

Time of imagery’s effect on performance and self-efficacy in college baseball players

The relationships among the time of imagery use on performance and self-efficacy in college baseball players during a hitting task was examined. Participants (n=24) were randomly assigned to one of three imagery conditions: (a) before practice, (b) during practice, (c) after practice. A one-shot MG-M imagery intervention was used. Results from a 3 (imagery group) ×2 (pretest and posttest) repeated measures ANOVA showed only a significant time by imagery group interaction for self-efficacy (F (2, 21)=4.67, p<0.05). These findings suggest that imagery had a stronger psychological effect than physical effect.

The Impact of a Motor Imagery-Based Training Program on Agility, Speed, and Reaction Time in a Sample of Young Tennis Athletes during Ramadan Fasting: Insights and Implications from a Randomized, Controlled Experimental Trial

The objective of this study was to explore whether a training program incorporating motor imagery could have an effect on physical performance outcomes in terms of agility, speed, and reaction time in a sample of tennis athletes who fasted during the month of Ramadan. Recruited subjects were 27 young male tennis players, randomly allocated to two groups: the imaging training group (n = 13) and a control group (n = 14). The study was designed as a randomized, controlled experimental study. The control group was engaged in watching videos concerning the history of the Olympic Games, whereas the motor imagery group followed a motor imagery-based training program. Physical performance outcomes were assessed during four sessions (one before Ramadan and three during Ramadan) by means of field tests. Our results revealed a drop in all performance outcomes measured in the middle and at the end of Ramadan for both groups (p < 0.01). The effect of the group × time interaction (p < 0.01) was reported for all physical performance outcomes measured for the two groups. This drop in performance was greater for the control group compared to the motor imagery group in the middle and at the end of Ramadan. This study showed that fasting during Ramadan reduced agility, speed, and reaction time performance for tennis players. A motor imagery-based training program could be an effective approach to reduce the effect of fasting during Ramadan and stabilize physical performance outcomes in terms of agility, speed, and reaction time for male tennis players.

The Beneficial Influence of Combining Motor Imagery and Coach’s Feedback on Soccer Pass Accuracy in Intermediate Players

This study compared the effects of motor imagery, feedback, and feedback+imagery interventions on soccer pass performance in non-elite players (intermediate, regional level). Participants were randomly divided into Control, Feedback, Imagery, and Feedback+Imagery groups, within a pre- post- intervention design. The intervention lasted 7 weeks, and the task consisted of passing the ball to a target 20-meters away. In each intervention session, the participants performed 3 blocks of four physical trials. The participants of the Feedback and Feedback+Imagery groups received expert feedback, given by the coach, after each block and then, all the participants realized a mental task (countdown or motor imagery). Results showed that the Feedback+Imagery group had the greatest pre- to post-test improvement compared to the other groups, and highlight the beneficial effect of combining verbal feedback and motor imagery to improve soccer passing accuracy. It is suggested to coaches or physical education teachers to adapt their training by incorporating feedback and imagery.

An acute session of motor imagery training induces use-dependent plasticity

Motor imagery, defined as the mental representation of an action without movement-related sensory inputs, is a well-known intervention to improve motor performance. In the current study, we tested whether use-dependent plasticity, a mechanism underlying motor learning, could be induced by an acute session of motor imagery. By means of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the left primary motor cortex, we evoked isolated thumb movements in the right hand and assessed corticospinal excitability in the flexor and extensor pollicis brevis muscles. We measured the mean TMS-induced movement direction before and after an acute session of motor imagery practice. In a first experiment, participants of the imagery group were instructed to repeatedly imagine their thumb moving in a direction deviated by 90° from the pre-test movement. This group, but not the control group, deviated the post-training TMS-induced movements toward the training target direction (+44° ± 62° and −1° ± 23°, respectively). Interestingly, the deviation magnitude was driven by the corticospinal excitability increase in the agonist muscle. In a second experiment, we found that post-training TMS-induced movements were proportionally deviated toward the trained direction and returned to baseline 30 minutes after the motor imagery training. These findings suggest that motor imagery induces use-dependent plasticity and, this neural process is accompanied by corticospinal excitability increase in the agonist muscle.

An acute session of motor imagery training induces use-dependent plasticity

Motor imagery, defined as the mental representation of an action without movement-related sensory inputs, is a well-known intervention to improve motor performance. In the current study, we tested whether use-dependent plasticity, a mechanism underlying motor learning, could be induced by an acute session of motor imagery. By means of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the left primary motor cortex, we evoked isolated thumb movements in the right hand and assessed corticospinal excitability in the flexor and extensor pollicis brevis muscles. We measured the mean TMS-induced movement direction before and after an acute session of motor imagery practice. In a first experiment, participants of the imagery group were instructed to repeatedly imagine their thumb moving in a direction deviated by 90° from the pre-test movement. This group, but not the control group, deviated the post-training TMS-induced movements toward the training target direction (+44° ±62° and −1° ±23°, respectively). Interestingly, the deviation magnitude was driven by the corticospinal excitability increase in the agonist muscle. In a second experiment, we found that post-training TMS-induced movements were proportionally deviated toward the trained direction and returned to baseline 30 minutes after the motor imagery training. These findings suggest that motor imagery induces use-dependent plasticity and, this neural process is accompanied by corticospinal excitability increase in the agonist muscle.

Combining Effect of Observational Practice, Mental Imagery and Physical Practice on learning a Soccer Dribbling Task in Amateur Boys

This study aimed to investigate the facilitative effect of observational practice combined with mental imagery on learning of soccer dribbling. 140 young boys with the average age of 14,52 (±2,96) and mental imagery score of 48,69 (±5,1), who were unfamiliar with the research task, voluntarily participated in this study. The participants were assigned to homogenous groups according to their pre-tests results as follow: 1- physical practice; 2- observational practice; 3-mental imagery practice; 4-physical-observational practice; 5-physical-mental imagery practice; 6- observational-mental imagery practice and 7- physical-observational-mental imagery practice. Then the participants completed three sessions including ninety trials. At the end of the final training session, an immediate retention test was conducted that followed by a delayed retention test after 48 hours. The results of One-Way ANOVA test indicated that in both immediate and delayed retention tests, the physical-observational-mental imagery group and the physical group had a better performance compared with other groups (p<.05). Furthermore, the combined physical-mental imagery group obtained higher scores in soccer dribbling task in comparison with the combined physical-observational group. The findings support the beneficial effects of cognitive interventions as well as physical practice.

The Effect of EMDR Versus Guided Imagery on Insomnia Severity in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

This study compared the effect of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy versus guided imagery on insomnia severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this randomized controlled trial, 75 patients with RA were selected via convenience sampling before using block randomization to assign patients into three groups comprised of (a) six sessions of EMDR, (b) six sessions of guided imagery, and (c) a control group. The Persian version of the Insomnia Severity Index was implemented at preintervention and 2 weeks' postintervention as the outcome measure. The EMDR group obtained respective pre-and postintervention mean scores of 23.5 ± 5.2 and 11±2.1, whereas the guided imagery group obtained scores of 24 ± 3 and 15.3 ± 2.3, and the control group obtained scores of 24.2 ± 3.3 and 23.6 ± 3. Pairwise comparisons showed statistically significant differences in insomnia severity between patients from each group, with the EMDR group experiencing a greater reduction in insomnia severity than guided imagery. EMDR and guided imagery were both effective in reducing insomnia severity in RA patients, although the degree of insomnia reduction for patients from the EMDR group was greater than that of the guided imagery group.

Archers on the Petroglyphs of Kara-Too in Kyrgyzstan

Purpose. The article analyzes in details two small petroglyphic compositions with human figures and hoofed animals made in the technique of dotted engraving on rocky ridges, which were discovered in the mountains of Kara-Too, a part of the mountain range of Tian Shan in Kyrgyzstan, and provides a brief description of another similar composition. Results. We summarized the primary events of researching rock graphic arts compositions in mountains, particularly those located in the northern part of the Kyrgyz Republic. The first imagery group, which was discovered at the site Kara-Too, demonstrates a dismounted archer wearing a rounded head-dress and keeping a bow and arrow in his hand, with a bow quiver hung to his belt, and a profile imagery of a hoofed animal with two protuberances on its back, which probably means that the animal is a camel. The second petroglyphic composition shows two archers with bows and arrows in their hands, who are hunting goats. We also give a brief description of the third multi-figure composition present at this petroglyphic location. It includes an imagery of a horseman, some horses, a dog, mountain goats and sheep or Altai argali, as well as a construction with walls and a double-pitch roof. Conclusion. The images of humans and animals in the petroglyphic composition of Kara-Too, which were described in the article, apparently relate to the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age.