The Four Ws of Imagery Use: Where, When, Why, and What

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify and describe the four Ws of athletes’ imagery use: where, when, why, and what. Due to the in-depth nature of the questions being asked, a qualitative approach was employed. The participants were 14 elite athletes (7 male and 7 female), representing 7 different sports. A constant comparative method of analysis was conducted by two investigators. A conceptual framework was developed to display the four Ws of imagery use during and outside practice, as well as for pre-competition, competition, and post competition. Results from the present study indicated where and when athletes use imagery, and extended previous findings on why and for what athletes use imagery. It was proposed that a better understanding of the athletes’ images can serve as a guide to future research and from a practical perspective, facilitate the development of more effective imagery interventions.

Imagery use by injured athletes: A qualitative analysis

“…Munroe et al, 2000;White & Hardy, 1995), and refers to the content of an athlete's image. Munroe et al (2000) categorized the content of athletes' images in sport under various headings. These headings included sessions (e.g.…”

Avaliação do treinamento mental na melhora de desempenho do saque no voleibol

“…Os avanços têm tornado o jogo altamente competitivo onde os atletas se aperfeiçoem constantemente, tanto a nível físico, quanto psicológicos, ou especificamente mecanismos neurais sejam envolvidos na percepção e identificação das ações motoras individuais como de seus adversários, assim servindo de base para um melhor desempenho (Morales et al, 2009). Alguns estudos têm investigado tais aspectos em diferentes modalidades esportivas (Evans, Jones & Mullen, 2004;Munroe, Giacobbi, Hall & Weinberg, 2000;Cumming & Hall, 2002;Calmels, Berthoumieux & d'Arripe-Longueville, 2004 Como pôde ser percebido, ampliar a experimentação com realidades diferentes utilizando técnica de imaginação para o desportista não deixa de ser uma proposta interessante, enquanto prática que pode afetar o desempenho desses atletas. O processo de treinamento psicológico busca como um todo o equilíbrio emocional revertido em ações motoras acertadas.…”

Aristotle’s concept of mental imagery in sports

“…The study results revealed substantial improvement in free-throw shooting performance. Munroe et al (2000) in their qualitative assessment of imagery use -where, when, why, and whatsupplemented enlightening details about imagery utilization by sportsmen. With reference to 'where', sportsmen documented using imagery extensively in both training and contest, and they described doing so before, throughout and after each, the 'when'.…”

“…Consequently, motivational-general imagery contains two sub-categories: the motivational-general-mastery imagery, associated with being selfconfident and mentally tough, as well as the motivational-general-arousal imagery associated with arousal and anxiety. Munroe et al (2000) indicate that once analyzing mental imagery it is recommended to harmonize the applied imagery with the expected result. To depict Munroe et al's (2000) recommendation, Vadocz et al (1997) examined the connection between mental imagery appliance, competitive anxiousness, and selfconfidence.…”

“…Munroe et al (2000) indicate that once analyzing mental imagery it is recommended to harmonize the applied imagery with the expected result. To depict Munroe et al's (2000) recommendation, Vadocz et al (1997) examined the connection between mental imagery appliance, competitive anxiousness, and selfconfidence. Research results revealed that participant involvement in motivational-general-arousal imagery was a substantial predictor of participant cognitive anxiety, supporting the concept that this form of imagery is correlated with arousal.…”