Understand and optimize mental strategies in motor training

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Martin Lotze
• Subject Area: General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
• Term: from 2018 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 389883835

Motor imagery is the mental simulation of action. Although it can assist in decision-making and skill improvement for novice and experts, the inter-individual variability of such improvement lowers the potential benefits at a broader level. The neural resources underlying motor imagery have been identified in the last two decades, but little is known about the optimal strategy that induces maximal improvement relative to the task (strength, aiming, sequence, etc.) and to the persons ability (expertise). In the current project, we intend to use methods of sport science and brain imaging to investigate the effectiveness of mental training. To this end, we aim to assess the prime determinants that induce learning with mental training and to predict motor gain with neurophysiological and psychological data. In an interaction of cognitive psychology, sport science and brain imaging, we intend to gather data that will enable us to formulate specific instructions for optimizing imagery training for different performance improvements.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Florent Lebon, Ph.D.