The Relationship Between Movement Imagery and Online Control in Typically Developing Children

Abstract

The ability to mentally represent actions is suggested to have a role in the online control of movement in healthy adults. Children’s movement imagery ability and online control have been shown to develop at similar non-linear rates. The current study investigated the relationship between movement imagery and online control in children by comparing implicit and explicit movement imagery measures with the ability to make online trajectory corrections. Imagery ability was a significant predictor of children’s online control of reaching once age and general reaching efficiency were controlled for. These findings extend the proposed relationship between movement imagery and online control.