Task-involvement and ego-involvement goals during actual and imagined movements: 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 vegetative effects whose magnitude is correlated with the amount of imagined effort. These beneficial effects of mental imagery have been explained 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 forearm 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 measured. Afterwards, the subjects were asked to indicate the amount of effort expended under different feedback conditions. The results showed no trace of electromyographic activity during the imagined contractions when the lack of movement was controlled using a force sensor. On the 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 applied less effort in the positive feedback condition, and more effort in the negative feedback condition with an ego-involving goal. The results 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.