Imagery Essay

Discuss the concept of imagery in sport psychology. In your answer, define imagery, explain its key functions, and evaluate its effectiveness for enhancing sport performance.

Define

Imagery = “a symbolic experience that may occur in any sensory mode” Hardy, Jones and Gould 1996. “experience that mimics real experience”

imagery is classed as different to mental rehearsal such as self-talk

imaging events have an affect on our nervous system similar to that of the real world experience

Imagery Modality:

• kinaesthetic imagery - cognitive re-creation of the feeling of movements

• visual imagery - mental imagery that involves the sense of pictures in mind

Imagery Perspective:

• internal visual - viewing scenarios through own eyes as if performing the movement (1st person)

• external visual - viewing scenarios from the perspective of an external observer (3rd person)

Key Functions

2 functions:

• cognitive and motivational in relation to general or specific behaviours

why do athletes image?

→ imagery of surrounding in which athlete competes (venues, spectators)

→ nature of imagery (positive-practice/pre-competition, negative-competition)

Effectiveness

• nature of task

→ cognitive components (decision making & perception) build greater benefits from imagery.

• improves skill level of the performer, any level athlete

• imagery only works if physical practice is completed alongside

• personality

→ Narcissism (Roberts et al, 2010) - narcissists using external imagery had greater influences in performance than those who used internal imagery.

• most effective when using multiple senses and including stimulus and response propositions

• enhances motivation/confidence and improves concentration