A. What is imagery?
Imagery
refers to creating or recreating an experience in the mind, along with all the
sensory and environmental images that accompany it.
It should involve the kinesthetic
sense (sensations from bodily position, movement, muscles, joints, and tendons)
It should involve the visual sense
(what you imagine seeing), the auditory sense (what you imagine hearing), the
olfactory sense (what you imagine smelling), and the tactile sense (what you
imagine touching).
It should also involve an emotional
component (anxiety, anger, joy, or pain) and thoughts (confidence,
concentration). All of these help
create a complete mental picture.
B. Research evidence show that imagery enhances
performance. The effects are stronger for skilled athletes. Evidence comes from…
Anecdotal
reports
Case
studies
Both correlational and experimental
research on imagery
interventions
C. Some basic facts about imagery
It
is most often used in before actual competition and during
simulated practice situations
It
also can be used after competition, before and after practice, during breaks in
the action, during non-sport times, and when recovering from injury
Athletes
may imagine sport outcomes, specific sport behaviors or skills, the arousal or
emotions associated with sport, and carrying out goals and strategies
D.
What do athletes image?
Both positive and negative images (failure-it may be
difficult to suppress these images at will)
Typically visually and
kinesthetic components of imagery
Athletes image from a certain perspective: internal or
external
Task: describe an image from an internal perspective
and then that same image from an external perspective
To practice remaining focused and concentrating
To try and figure out a certain
problem with your performance
1. What the task is
2. The imaging ability of the athlete. A good “imager” works to make the image
vivid and detailed. This is often done
by practicing. A good “imager” works to
control the image vivid so that he/she is visualizing positive rather than
negative behaviors.
3. The person’s actual athletic skill
4. Using it in
conjunction with actual physical practice
G.
How does imagery work? There are
five key explanations.
1. Psychoneuromuscular theory—imagining
activates neuromuscular patterns in the same way that actual physical movement
does.
2. Symbolic learning theory—imagining
helps us understand, learn, and acquire the motor movements.
3. Psychological skills hypothesis—imagery works because it improves concentration and
confidence, and reduces anxiety.
4. Bioinformational theory—an
image creates mental scripts with elements that describe a stimulus to
action/movement, and a response to that stimulus.
5. Triple code model—expands bioinformational theory by claiming that the image
also imparts meaning or significance.
H.
Steps in developing an imagery training program
1. assess the athlete’s current level of imaging ability. There are questionnaires designed for this
purpose.
2. find a quiet setting with few distractions
3. get the athlete to relax and focusing on the task of imagery
4. make sure the athlete is motivated to do this and has
appropriate expectations as to how much can be accomplished
5. make sure the athlete knows the setting to be imagined; if
not, visit the setting, or use a videotape of the setting or the athlete’s
performance
6. help the athlete feel the bodily sensations
7. focus on positive outcomes
8. image in real time (in the time it actually takes for a
skill to be executed)