Imagery Flashcards
What is Imagery?
“…using all the senses to recreate or create experiences
in the mind.”
- Senses include: auditory, olfactory, visual, kinesthetic, touch
- Re-creation or creation of experience
- Occurs in the absence of external stimuli
- Other terms: visualization, mental rehearsal, symbolic rehearsal, covert practice, and mental imagery
What are 6 Imagery uses?
1. Setting goals
2. Learning to control emotions
3. Developing self-awareness
4. Improving concentration
5. Practicing sport skills
6. Practicing strategies
Imagery Uses
What is Setting goals?
1. Setting goals
- Might visualize achieving a goal (crossing the finish line first)
Imagery Uses
What is Learning to control emotions?
2. Learning to control emotions
- Imagine the crowd cheering to increase arousal (e.g., figure skating when they announce your name)
Imagery Uses
What is Developing self-awareness?
3. Developing self-awareness
- How do you feel when you perform a specific skill?
Imagery Uses
What is Improving concentration?
4. Improving concentration
What to focus on and when (e.g., can focus on skill execution without hearing the crowd
Imagery Uses
What is Practicing sport skills?
5. Practicing sport skills
Understanding the components to a skill (e.g., break down how to perform a free throw in basketball)
Imagery Uses
What is Practicing strategies?
6. Practicing strategies
Quarterback in American football – practice who are their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd throwing options
What are the 2 Imagery Perspectives?
Internal
* From your own internal vantage point
External
* View yourself from the perspective of an outside observer
Function: Motivational
What is Specific imagery?
Includes images related to an individual’s goals
Function: Motivational
What is General Mastery imagery?
Imaging performing well to improve confidence
Function: Motivational
What is General Arousal imagery?
Imaging to relax or get pumped up
Function: Cognitive
What is Specific imagery?
Includes images of specific sport skills
Function: Cognitive
What is General imagery?
Includes images of strategies, game planes, or routines
What are 4 Important Points about Imagery?
4
- Imagery affects performance the most on cognitive tasks
- Imagery helps performance for both novice and experienced performers
- Imagery is more effective when individuals are higher in their ability to image
- Imagery should be used in addition to physical practice
Which function of imagery should be used?
- An athlete wants to run through a sport skill as they are learning it in practice.
- An athlete wants to reduce anxiety prior to competition.
How Imagery Works
What is Psychoneuromuscular Theory?
Imagery facilitates the learning of motor skills because imagined events innervate the muscles as physical practice of the movement does; they strengthen neural pathways.
How Imagery Works
What is Symbolic Learning Theory?
Imagery functions as a coding system (as mental blueprints) to help people understand and acquire movement patterns.
What are the 3 Keys to Effective Imagery?
- Vividness training
- Controllability training
- Self-perception training
What is Vividness training?
Includes exercises designed to strengthen the senses identified as important for sport performance
What is Controllability training?
- Learning how to manipulate images at will
- E.g., If a figure skater always visualizes themselves falling
What is Self-perception training?
- Being able to “stand back and look at yourself”
- Enables participants to practice detecting their own feelings and behaviours
When should athletes use imagery?
- Before and after practice
- Before and after competition
- Personal time
- During breaks in action
- When recovering from injury
