Mental Practice

Question 1

What is mental practice?**

Answer 1

The cognitive rehearsal of a physical skill in the absence of overt physical movements

Question 2

First form of mental practice**

Answer 2

Thinking about the cognitive or procedural aspects of a motor skill

Question 3

Second form of mental practice**

Answer 3

Engaging in visual or kinaesthetic imagery of the performance of a skill or part of a skill

Question 4

What does mental practice do ?**

Answer 4

A practice strategy to aid acquisition of motor skills and means to prepare to perform a skill

Question 5

What are the three practice conditions

Answer 5

1. Physical practice
2. Mental practice
3. No practice

Question 6

What is the best out of the three types of practice ?

Answer 6

Physical practice is better than mental and no practice

Question 7

Why is it beneficial for learning to combine physical and mental practice?

Answer 7

Physical practice is good, but with the combination of mental practice it promotes cognitive problem solving activity

Question 8

What learning situations has research shown benefit from mental practice?**

Answer 8

1. Rehabilitative settings
2. Learning medical procedures
3. Power and speed training
4. Part of a general preparation strategy that aids learning

Question 9

Mental practice benefits in rehabilitative settings

Answer 9

• enables interventions to begin very early in the recovery process, when little or no movement is possible
• inexpensive, can be done anywhere
• involves no safety risks

Question 10

Mental practice benefits for learning a medical procedure

Answer 10

• cost effective way to augment the traditional training of surgical skills
• highlight important role of imagery quality may influence quality of performance

Question 11

Mental practice benefits for power and speed training

Answer 11

• can gain strength on variety of different tasks with various combinations of physical and mental practice (bench press, tricep extensions, calf raises)
• influences movement speed

Question 12

Mental practice as a part of general prep strategy that aids learning (5 steps)

Answer 12

1. Get ready physically, mentally and emotionally
2. Mentally imaging performing the action, both visually and kinesthetically
3. Concentrate internally on only one relevant cue related to the action
4. Execute action
5. Evaluate the performance

Question 13

Mental practice aids to performance prep

Answer 13

Imagery is used immediately prior to or during competition
Also aids with rehabilitation from injury

Question 14

What is the most common mental practice strategy?

Answer 14

Imagery, generally used for skilled athletes preparing to perform a skill

Question 15

Types of imagery related to motor skill performance**

Answer 15

1. Motivational: specific - specific goals and goal oriented behaviour (winning a gold metal
2. Motivational: General mastery - effective coping and mastery of challenges (confidence, focus)
3. Motivational: general arousal - relaxation, stress, arousal, anxiety (before an event)
4. Cognitive: specific - performing a specific skill (golf shot)
5. Cognitive: General - strategies related to an event (organize items while cooking)

Question 16

What is the neuromuscular hypothesis?

Answer 16

EMG records show muscle activity during mental practice

Question 17

What is brain activity hypothesis?

Answer 17

Brain activity during imagery is similar to activity during actual performance

Question 18

What is cognitive hypothesis?

Answer 18

Helps learner answer what to do questions that are common during initial stage of learning

Question 19

Imagery ability

Answer 19

Some people find difficulty imagining a described action. Evidence demonstrates imagery ability is an individual - difference variable comes from research using tests of movement imagery

Question 20

Can people with low imagery still benefit from mental practice

Answer 20

Yes, people with low imagery ability can still benefit from mental practice