PowerPoint Presentation

Imagery

Martin I. JonesBSc MSc PhD CPsychol CSci AFBPsS SFHEABASES accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist (Psychology)HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successfully completing this weeks study you will be able to...

Define ImageryUnderstand how imagery might workUnderstanding how applied practitioners use imagery to influence performance

What is imagery

Why are we studying it??

Defining Imagery

Without looking at the rest of the presentation, develop a working definition of imagery in sport

Consider whether visualisation and imagery are empirically distinct

actual and conceptual knowledge allows us to speak, listen, read, write, problem solve, and think about our world. Without the ability to acquire, represent and manipulate this knowledge high level cognition would not be possible. Imagery is a means by which knowledge can be representedF

he mental invention or re-creation of an experience that in at least some respects resembles the experience of actually perceiving an object or an event in conjunction with, or in the absence of direct sensory stimulationFinke (1989)

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magery, in the context of sport, may be considered as the creation or re-creation of an experience generated from memorial information, involving quasi-sensorial, quasi-perceptual, and quasi-affective characteristics, that is under the volitional control of the imager, and which may occur in the absence of the real stimulus antecedents normally associated with the actual experienceMorris et al. (2005)

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Does it work?

Do athletes use it?

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Research indicates that imagery more than any other performance-enhancement technique is used by elite athletes, coaches, and sport psychologists (De Francesco and Burke, 1997).

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You have to see the shots and feel themthrough your hands

Does it work?

Driskell et al. (1994) found that mental imagery does enhance performance although the effect is small and usually benefits novice skill performers the most during the early stages of skill acquisition.

Research in the area is fragmented and few people study the effect of imagery ability, perspective, sensory modality, application

Imagery effectiveness depends on several factors

Imagery in Sport

Where, When, Why, and What

Where do athletes use imagery?

ANYWHERE

However research suggests that athletes employ imagery more in competition than in training.

When do athletes use imagery?

ALL THE TIME

However research suggests that athletes employ imagery before, during, and after practice; outside of practice; before, during, or after competition; and for injury rehabilitation

Why do athletes use imagery?

LOTS OF DIFFERENT REASONS

MotivationSkillsSpecificGeneral

SpecificGeneralPaviosAnalytic Framework of Imagery Effects (1985)MotivationCognitive

PaviosAnalytic Framework of Imagery Effects (1985)

(MS): Seeing yourself winning an event(MG-M): Coping in difficult circumstances(MG-A): Feelings of relaxation, stress, arousal or anxiety(CS): Performing specific skills(CG): Images of strategy and game plans

What do athletes imagine?

ALL SORTS

Surroundings, positive or negative, character of images, the senses involved, the perspective (internal vs. external)

Movies v s still images

Catastrophic imagery

Intrusive imagery

Internal perspective is visualizing the execution of a skill from your own vantage point.

External perspective is visualizing yourself from the perspective of an outside observer. (as if you were watching yourself on TV)

Whether a person uses an internal or external image appears to be less important than choosing a comfortable style that produces clear, controllable images.

Imagery is more effective when individuals are higher in their ability to image (have better vividness and control).

Use all the senses to make images as vivid and detailed as possible

Learn to manipulate your images so they do what you want them to do

Imagine a Newtons Cradle in action

Could you control the image?

Why does imagery improve performance?

Up to ten different theories (focus on five)

LANGS (1977) BIO-INFORMATIONAL THEORY

Information processing model that considers the psychophysiology of imagery

STIMULUS AND RESPONSEPropositions

The greater the reality of the Imagery used the greater the physiological reaction.

It is critical to imagine not only stimulus propositions (statements that describe the scenario to be imagined) but also response propositions (imaginers response to the scenario).

Langs model was found to influence the performance of novice hockey players. Stimulus proposition, response proposition, stimulus-response, and control group. The stimulus-response proposition group improved performance significantly compared to the other conditions (Smith et al. 2001).

Response propositions resulted in greater muscle activity when lifting weights (Bakker, Boschker, Chung, 1996)

Script weighted with stimulus propositions

It is a beautiful autumn day and you are engaged in a training program, running down a street close to your home. You are wearing a bright red tracksuit, and as you run you watch the wind blow the leaves from the street onto a neighbours lawn. A girl on a bicycle passes you as she delivers newspapers. You swerve to avoid a pothole in the road, and you smile at another runner passing you in the opposite direction.

Script weighted with response propositionsIt is a crisp autumn day and you are engaged in a training run, going down a street close to your home. You feel the cold bite of air in your nose and throat as you breathe in large gulps of air. You are running easily and smoothly, but you feel pleasantly tired and can feel your heart pounding in your chest. Your leg muscles are tired, especially the calf and thigh muscles, and you can feel your feet slapping against the pavement. As you run you can feel warm sweat on your body.

Psychoneuromuscular theory

Imagery programs muscles for action.

Imagery facilitates the learning of motor skills because imagined events innervate the muscles as physical practice of the movement does; they strengthen neural pathways.

Music is playing a reduced volume

Carpenter (1894)

Chevreuls Pendulum

Time for an experiment

Symbolic learning theory

Imagery helps us understand movement patterns.

Imagery functions as a coding system (as mental blueprints) to help people understand and acquire movement patterns.

Sackett (1934)

Triple code model

Imagery comprises the image, somatic response, and image meaning (ISM)

Primary importance is placed on the psychophysiology of imagery and understanding the imagery parts: the image, the somatic response, and the meaning of the image.

Ahsen (1984)

See a bright ball of energy which I inhale and bring down to the centre of my body

Murphy (1990)

PETTLEP

Attempts to tackle problems that have been experienced when implementing motor imagery programmes.

The models structure is taken from the neuroscientific functional equivalence literature.

Functional Equivalence

PhysicalEnvironmentTaskTimingLearningEmotionPerspective

PhysicalA close approximation of preparation and execution.Environment Meaning of propositions must be relevant.TaskNature of the task needs to be equivalent / modality.TimingTemporal equivalence / slow motion problematic.LearningContent must be adapted as a consequence of expertiseEmotionLangs work states that emotion makes the efferent pathways become more elaboratePerspectiveMotor Imagery is performed from an internal orientation. The use of an external perspective were vision is the dominant modality should be considered especially during the early stages of skill acquisition.

Key Summary PointsUnderstand the when, where, and why of imagery use

Imagery has different functions

Lots of theories of why imagery affect emotion and behaviour we focussed on 5

Applied implications from PETTLEP and AMIUS

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successfully completing this weeks study you will be able to...

Define ImageryUnderstand how imagery might workUnderstanding how applied practitioners use imagery to influence performance

How will this weeks content be assessed?

Martin I. JonesBSc MSc PhD CPsychol CSci AFBPsS SFHEABASES accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist (Psychology)HCPC registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist

E: m.i.jones@exeter Tw: @drmijones