Journal of Applied Sciences1812-56541812-5662Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/jas.2011.151.156KimTae HoCruzAngelita HaJun Ho12011111The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the learning facilitatory effect of motor imagery and action observation by analyzing the effect of these cognitive interventions on the learning of golf-putting. A total of 60 male university students were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 groups: Motor Imagery (MI), Action Observation (AO), Physical Practice (PP), Motor Imagery and Physical Practice (MI-PP), Action Observation and Physical Practice (AO-PP) and control. After a pre-test of putting performance, subjects participated in the practice program for 3 days, for 20 min a day. Subjects performed the immediate and delayed post-tests 1 day and 1 week after the practice session, respectively. For each test, variables reflecting the accuracy and consistency of putting movements were calculated and analyzed by 3-way ANOVA. In terms of the accuracy and consistency of putting results, all experimental groups, except the control group, improved significantly from the pre-test to the immediate post-test, with improvements maintained in the delayed post-test. As a result of the putting movements, the AO-PP group improved further from the immediate to the delayed post-test. These results suggest that the learning facilitatory effect of cognitive intervention can be maximized when performed together with physical practice and that physical practice with action observation is more efficient than that with motor imagery. Simultaneous performance of action observation and physical practice thus appears to be the most effective practice condition, by providing a combined learning effect, which cannot be obtained by either cognitive intervention or physical practice alone.]]>Baldissera, F., P. Cavallari, L. Craighero and L. Fadiga,200113190194Breslin, G., N.J. Hodges, A.M. Williams, W. Curran and J. Kremer,200524446463Buccino, G., F. Binkofski, G.R. Fink, L. Fadiga and L. Fogassi et al.,200113400404Cheng, Y.W., O.J. Tzeng, D. Hung, J. Decety and J.C. Hsieh,20051617111714De Beni, R., F. Pazzaglia and S. Gardini,200763271278Fadiga, L., L. Craighero and E. Olivier,200515213218Filimon, F., J.D. Nelson, D.J. Hagler and M.I. Sereno,20073713151328Gangitano, M., F.M. Mottaghy and A. Pascual-Leone,20011214891492Gregg, M., C. Hall and A. Butler,20107249257Guillot, A. and C. Collet,200550387397Hayes, S.J., D. Ashford and S.J. Bennett,2008127407415Hecht, H., S. Vogt and W. Prinz,200165314Jeannerod, M. and V. Frak,19999735739Lacourse, M.G., E.L. Orr, S.C. Cramer and M.J. Cohen,200527505519Levin, O., M. Steyvers, N. Wenderoth, Y. Li and S.P. Swinnen,2004359185189Magill, R.A.,20037th Edn.,Mulder, T., S. Zijlstra, W. Zijlstra and J. Hochstenbach,2004154211217Muthukumaraswamy, S.D., B.W. Johnson and N.A. McNair,200419195201Papadelis, C., C. Kourtidou-Papadeli, P. Bamidis and M. Albani,2007647485Ranganathan, V.K., V. Siemionow, J.Z. Liu, V. Sahgal and G.H. Yue,200442944956Schoenfelder-Zohdi, B.G.,19921992Shafizadeh, M.,2007724902494Shea, C.H., D.L. Wright, G. Wulf and C. Whitacre,2000322736Stinear, C.M. and W.D. Byblow,2003114909914Strafella, S.P. and T. Paus,20001122892292Weeks, D.L. and L.P. Anderson,2000104259271Weinberg, R.S. and D. Gould,20074th Edn.,pp: 308-311pp: 308-311