Movement Imagery for Speech in Healthy Women: Influences on Articulation Accuracy and Fluidity, Imagery Times, and Expectations of Success

Summary.—The use of movement imagery in speech performance has received less attention than it has in many other professional disciplines. 30 healthy monolingual native English speakers participated in this within-subjects study. Participants’ speech accuracy and fluidity was compared when they used movement imagery and when they did not. The timing of imagery and articulation were compared using a chronometric paradigm. Participants’ expectations of improvement when using movement imagery for speech were compared to their actual performance. The results from this study support the use of movement imagery for speech with a single imaging event for the purpose of improving speech fluidity, but not for improving articulation accuracy. The chronometric system as a tool for monitoring adherence to the movement imagery protocol for speech proved valuable. Finally, while estimation inflation has been reported by some using movement imagery techniques, this was not the case for the participants of this study.