What Are Confident Athletes Imaging?: An Examination of Image Content

Abstract

Despite the advocacy of a confidence-enhancing function of mental imagery, the relationship between confidence and imagery has received little attention from sport researchers. The primary purpose of the present study was to identify the specific image content of confident athletes. Fifty-seven elite competitive rollerskaters completed the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised (MIQ-R), the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ), and the State Sport Confidence Inventory (SSCI). Results revealed that high sport-confident athletes used more mastery and arousal imagery, and had better kinesthetic and visual imagery ability than low sport-confident athletes did. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that mastery imagery accounted for the majority of variance in SSCI scores (20%). The results of this study suggest that when it comes to sport confidence, the imaged rehearsal of specific sport skills may not be as important as the imagery of sport-related mastery experiences and emotions.

Imagery and observational learning use and their relationship to sport confidence

“…In support of the model, motivational general-mastery emerged as the strongest positive predictor of sport confidence, regardless of the setting. It would appear that motivational generalmastery imagery should be the function of choice for athletes trying to develop or maintain their confidence (Moritz et al, 1996). It is interesting that cognitive specific imagery as well as the skill function of observational learning were also positive predictors of sport confidence.…”

“…Furthermore, the outcomes are quite general in nature (e.g. modify cognitions) and so more than one imagery function can be related to the same outcome (Abma, Fry, Li, & Relyea, 2002;Mills, Munroe, & Hall, 2001;Moritz, Hall, Martin, & Vadocz, 1996;Nordin & Cumming, 2005;Short & Short, 2005). Athletes grouped according to a given characteristic may also use the functions of imagery differently.…”

A Temporal Examination of Elite Performers Sources of Sport-Confidence

“…For example, imagery could be used to convey feelings of success (Moritz, Hall, Martin, & Vadocz, 1996). High sport-confident athletes have been shown to use more mastery imagery and arousal imagery than low sport-confident athletes (Moritz et al, 1996). Thus, elite female athletes may benefit more so than males from interventions incorporating mastery imagery during the build up to a major competition.…”

“…Although these results may be expected, applied practitioners and coaches should continue to facilitate confidence in elite female athletes by structuring environments which provide opportunities for the mastery of new skills and techniques. For example, imagery could be used to convey feelings of success (Moritz, Hall, Martin, & Vadocz, 1996). High sport-confident athletes have been shown to use more mastery imagery and arousal imagery than low sport-confident athletes (Moritz et al, 1996).…”

Avaliação da eficácia de um programa de treino de visualização mental num escalão de formação desportiva no basquetebol

“…Por sua vez, dimensão motivacional divide-se pela visualização que os atletas fazem dos objectivos a atingir durante as competições (nível específico), dos níveis de activação que desejam atingir durante as provas (geral -activação) e dos índices de confiança e optimismo que pretendem demonstrar (geral -mestria). Devido à natureza algo recente dos pressupostos avançados, os dados acerca do modelo são ainda escassos, existindo apenas a evidência acerca das vantagens da área cognitiva específica na aquisição e desempenho das tarefas motoras (ver Driskell, Cooper, & Moran, 1994;Feltz & Landers, 1983;Lee, 1990;Martin, Moritz, & Hall, 1999); dos efeitos mais positivos da motivação geral (mestria) relativamente à VM cognitiva específica na promoção dos níveis de auto-confiança (Callow, Hardy, & Hall, 2001;Feltz & Riessinger, 1990;Moritz, Hall, Martin, & Vadocz, 1996) e da motivação geral (activação) na ajuda aos atletas a controlarem mais eficazmente a ansiedade e o excesso de activação no confronto com as competições (Hecker & Kaczor, 1998;Munroe, Giacobbi, Hall, & Weinberg, 2000;White & Hardy, 1998).…”