Athletes and performers
Improves consistency by rehearsing key actions before execution.
Imagination Type
Motor Imagination
Motor imagination is the ability to mentally rehearse movement without physical execution—posture, timing, force, sequencing, and kinesthetic feel. It activates brain pathways similar to actual movement and is measured with tools like the Movement Imagery Questionnaire family: the MIQ-R assesses visual and kinesthetic movement imagery, and the MIQ-3 (often considered the gold standard) separates kinesthetic imagery (KI), internal visual imagery (IVI), and external visual imagery (EVI). Respondents typically rate ease of imaging specific movements (e.g. raising knees, moving arms, bending, jumping) on a 7-point scale; psychometric work shows strong internal consistency and test–retest reliability.
Meta-analyses of athletes find a moderate positive effect of motor imagery training on performance (e.g. SMD ~0.5), with optimal gains at roughly 10 minutes of practice three times per week over an extended period (e.g. 100 days). Imagery enhances agility, strength, and sport-specific skills (e.g. tennis service accuracy, basketball free-throw, soccer penalty-taking, volleyball passing); combining imagery with physical practice or other psychological skills usually outperforms imagery alone. Neural activity during imagery (e.g. alpha and beta band synchronization) correlates with motor learning, supporting the idea of functional equivalence between imagined and overt movement.
Motor imagery is also a low-cost, safe adjunct in rehabilitation: it improves upper-limb function, hand function, gait speed, and daily activities after stroke when combined with physical therapy, with RCTs showing greater gains (e.g. on ARAT) and increased sensorimotor cortex activation compared to physical practice alone. Best practice is to combine it with conventional therapy, personalize to the person and task, and apply it across acute, subacute, and chronic phases.
Last reviewed: Feb 16, 2026
Why It Matters
- In sport and motor learning, imagery training produces measurable gains in agility, strength, and sport-specific skills; combining it with physical practice and sometimes other psychological skills yields the strongest effects. Athletes with higher achievement tend to report stronger imagery ability, and tailored imagery training can support performance across skill levels. Imagery is best used as a complement to physical training, not a replacement—e.g. it is less effective than physical practice alone for reaction speed but still improves it compared to no practice.
- In rehabilitation (stroke, injury, arthroplasty), motor imagery added to physical therapy improves upper-limb and hand function, gait speed, and instrumental activities of daily living; it promotes neuroplasticity and neural reorganization and can be started early (including in flaccid paralysis). It is also used for phantom limb pain and chronic pain (e.g. graded motor imagery). Mechanisms include maintaining motor neuron excitability, reducing learned non-use, and enhancing motor planning.
- Principles of mental rehearsal extend to non-sport contexts (e.g. public speaking, performance anxiety, routine skill precision), though direct research there is sparser; first-person imagery tends to activate premotor and primary motor cortex more strongly than watching yourself from outside, so perspective matters for practice.
The Spectrum: Low to High Vividness
- Lower vividness: Movement can be conceptually planned but hard to feel internally.
- Moderate vividness: Basic sequences are mentally rehearsable, with variable detail.
- Higher vividness: Detailed timing and kinesthetic sensation can be mentally simulated before action.
Common Signs
- You can mentally run through complex movement sequences before acting.
- You feel kinesthetic detail during rehearsal of posture or timing.
- You rely more on external practice than internal simulation.
Real-World Examples
- Athletes pre-visualizing starts, turns, and finishes.
- Public speakers rehearsing gestures and stage movement.
- Rehabilitation routines that combine guided movement imagery with physical training.
Where This Helps in Real Life
Rehabilitation programs
Supports confidence and neural engagement while physical capacity is rebuilding.
Knowledge workers under pressure
Useful for rehearsing delivery posture, transitions, and embodied communication.
Related Psychometric Tools
MIQ-R / MIQ-3
Movement Imagery Questionnaires: MIQ-R assesses visual and kinesthetic movement imagery; MIQ-3 is the gold standard with three subscales (kinesthetic, internal visual, external visual). Strong psychometrics; MIQ-C available for children (12 items, 7-point scale).
Psi-Q bodily sensation items
Multisensory scale that captures bodily and movement-related imagery alongside vision, sound, smell, taste, touch, and emotional feeling, so motor imagery can be compared with other sensory dimensions.
How This Dimension Is Measured
- The MIQ family uses specific movements (e.g. raising knees, moving arms, bending waist, jumping) and asks you to rate how easily you can form visual (internal or external) and kinesthetic images of each. The MIQ-3 has three subscales (KI, IVI, EVI); the MIQ-C adapts this for children (7–12 years). Higher scores indicate stronger imagery; criterion validity with MIQ-3 is high across subscales.
- Interpretation is stronger when linked to task goals (e.g. the skill or movement you care about) rather than a single global score. In rehabilitation, outcomes are often tracked with tools like the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), and gait speed.
- Repeated assessment helps connect changes in imagery vividness or ease to performance and recovery outcomes; first-person (internal) perspective is typically emphasized for activating motor cortex.
Common Misconceptions
Myth: Motor imagery can replace physical training.
Reality: Meta-analyses show it is most effective as an adjunct: imagery combined with physical practice (and sometimes other psychological skills) outperforms imagery alone. For some outcomes (e.g. reaction speed), physical training alone is stronger than imagery, but imagery still helps versus no practice.
Myth: It only matters in sports.
Reality: Strong evidence supports motor imagery in stroke and injury rehabilitation (upper-limb function, gait, IADLs), arthroplasty recovery, phantom limb pain, and chronic pain. Principles of mental rehearsal apply to public speaking and performance anxiety, though direct studies are fewer.
Myth: Third-person (watching yourself) is as good as first-person.
Reality: First-person imagery (feeling yourself do the movement) activates premotor and primary motor cortex more strongly and is emphasized in protocols like graded motor imagery; external observation can be a useful preparatory step before first-person rehearsal.
Ways to Strengthen This Dimension
- Structured home protocol: choose one movement (e.g. throwing, writing, standing from sitting), form a vivid mental representation with sensory detail, then practice two sets of 25 mental repetitions (5 s per rep, 5 s rest; 2 min rest between sets; extra 20 s rest every fifth rep). Add 10 trials in weeks 3–4; after 5 days of practice, take a 2-day break. Typical dose: 15–30 min daily or 30 min 3×/week over 4–8 weeks.
- Beginner routine (2–5 min): sit calmly, eyes closed, 3–5 deep breaths; tune into senses (30 s); imagine one familiar movement (reaching for a glass, standing up, hand motion) smoothly 5–10 times; close with 30 s of noticing how your body feels. Use first-person perspective (imagine doing the movement, not watching yourself); if imagery triggers pain, reduce to once daily and repeat the same movement until tolerance builds.
- Segment and progress: start with part of a movement (skip the most painful or difficult part), then gradually increase range, speed, and complexity; sync imagined movement with breath (e.g. reach on exhale). Combine with physical practice when possible—imagery plus physical exercise yields greater gains than imagery alone in meta-analyses.
How to Interpret This Carefully
- One score is a snapshot, not a permanent identity.
- Self-report can be influenced by attention, mood, fatigue, and interpretation of prompts.
- Low vividness is not a deficit by default. It often reflects a different cognitive style.
- Single-dimension interpretation is incomplete. Compare across all six sensory dimensions.
Evidence and Sources
This page is educational and grounded in psychometric and sensory imagery research. For methodological details, use the primary sources below.
Explore Related Dimensions
Most people are mixed across senses. Comparing dimensions is often more useful than interpreting one score in isolation.
FAQ
Does motor imagery replace physical practice?
No. Meta-analyses show it works best as an adjunct: combining imagery with physical practice (and sometimes other psychological skills) produces greater benefits than imagery alone. For reaction speed, physical training alone is more effective, but imagery still helps compared to no practice.
Is motor imagery only for athletes?
No. It is well supported in stroke and injury rehabilitation (upper-limb function, gait, daily activities), total knee arthroplasty, phantom limb pain, and chronic pain (graded motor imagery). Principles of mental rehearsal also apply to public speaking, performance anxiety, and routine skills, though research there is less extensive.
How long and how often should I practice?
Evidence-based doses include ~10 min three times per week over an extended period for athletic performance; 15–30 min daily or 30 min 3×/week over 4–8 weeks for rehab-style home programs. Start with a short 2–5 min routine if you are new; build in rest (e.g. 2 days off after 5 days of practice).
Related reading
Deep dives on imagination, measurement, and using your profile.
What to do next
See how others use their profile in a case study, or take the free assessment to map your full six-sense Imagery Profile.