Molly Brillinger, PhD

Research Area: My research focuses broadly on motor behaviour in social contexts, specifically how we plan, control, and acquire movement skills in the presence of others. During my PhD, I investigated motor imagery of joint action, exploring how we mentally rehearse interpersonal movements. In the area of skill acquisition, I study dyad/paired practice, examining how co-learners practice and acquire movement skills together. For my postdoctoral research, I am applying my expertise in motor performance to the domain of expert sports, specifically exploring how emergent information impacts performance in baseball. 

Favourite Hobbies: My hobbies include reading, hiking, and anything health & fitness related

Key Publications:

  1. Brillinger, M., Karlinsky, A., Hodges, N.J., Tremblay, L., Scott, M.W., Manzone, D.M., Tamminen, K.A., Welsh, T.N. (in review). Cooperative and competitive dyad learning environments influence psychosocial, but not motor, outcomes in a relative-timing task. Journal of Motor Learning and Development.

  2. Brillinger, M., Bai, Y., Karlinsky, A., Welsh, T.N., Poliakoff, E., Gowen, E. (In review). A mixed methods exploration of motor imagery in autistic and non-autistic adults: Diverse experiences and implications for interventions. Plos One. 

  3. Brillinger, M., Wang, X. M., & Welsh, T. N. (2025). The assumed motor capabilities of a partner influence motor imagery in a joint serial disc transfer task. Cognition, 254, 105964.

  4. Brillinger, M., Karlinsky, A., & Patterson, J. (2024). Examining learner-controlled role-switching in dyad practice for the learning of a speed cup-stacking task. Journal of Motor Behavior, 56(2), 211-225.

  5. Yoxon, E., Brillinger, M., & Welsh, T. N. (2022). Behavioural indexes of movement imagery ability are associated with the magnitude of corticospinal adaptation following movement imagery training. Brain Research, 1777, 147764.

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