TASK-INVOLVEMENT AND EGO-INVOLVEMENT GOALS DURING ACTUAL AND IMAGINEDMOVEMENTS - THEIR EFFECTS ON COGNITIONS AND VEGETATIVE RESPONSES

It has been experimentally proven many times that the mental rehearsal of an activity not only improves motor performance but also has veget ative effects whose magnitude is correlated with the amount of imagine d effort. These beneficial effects of mental imagery have been explain ed in terms of central programming structures capable of anticipating the metabolic demands of the task. Twenty-four subjects were asked to actually perform and also imagine an isometric contraction of the fore arm under various goal conditions: a task-involving goal (8 subjects), an ego-involving goal (8 subjects), and no goal (8 subjects). During the contractions, electromyographic potential and heart rate were meas ured. Afterwards, the subjects were asked to indicate the amount of ef fort expended under different feedback conditions. The results showed no trace of electromyographic activity during the imagined contraction s when the lack of movement was controlled using a force sensor. On th e other hand, a significantly faster in heart rate was observed with a task- or ego-involving goal than with no goal, during both actual and imagined contraction. Similarly, as predicted, subjects said they app lied less effort in the positive feedback condition, and more effort i n the negative feedback condition with an ego-involving goal. The resu lts are discussed in the light of goal theories, while regarding goals not only as serving to anticipate metabolic expenditures but also as promoting a self-image of competence, particularly in threatening, ego -involving situations.