Volume 2(6): April, 1997

IMAGERY IN SPORTS

This sixth issue, Imagery in Sports, of Volume 2 of Coaching Science Abstracts reviews articles concerned with imagery and covert behavior activities that can be used in sports. This area is confused, poorly communicated, and rarely exploited in a fully effective manner for athlete gain.

Imagery could be used in sports for performance enhancement, skill learning, and covert behavior modification. Coaches normally consider imagery as an activity associated with competition preparation, that is, a performance enhancement function. However, it could be just as and even more effective if used as a feature of skill learning and in the more general domain of behavior modification. To elucidate on these functions this issue breaks from its sole "abstract" tradition and reprints some treatments of all three uses from a number of sources.

It is the editor's belief that the sporting world has yet to fully tap the potential of imagery for assisting athletes to improve performances, enjoy participation, and learn skills more effectively.

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    IMAGERY CONCEPTS AND RESEARCH

  1. THE ROLE OF IMAGERY IN PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE

    Rushall, B. S., & Lippman, L. G. (1997). The role of imagery in physical performance. International Journal for Sport Psychology, 29, 57-72.

  2. INTRODUCTION TO IMAGERY IN PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE

    Rushall, B. S., & Lippman, L. G. (1997). The role of imagery in physical performance. International Journal for Sport Psychology, 29, 57-72.

  3. THE CONCEPT OF IMAGERY-BASED SKILL DEVELOPMENT

    Rushall, B. S., & Lippman, L. G. (1997). The role of imagery in physical performance. International Journal for Sport Psychology,29, 57-72.

  4. A MODEL FOR USING IMAGERY IN THE LEARNING OF PHYSICAL AND STRATEGIC SKILLS

    Rushall, B. S. (1991). Imagery training in sports. Spring Valley, CA: Sports Science Associates and Belconnen, ACT, Australia: Australian Coaching Council.

  5. IMAGERY AND PERFORMANCE PREPARATION

    Rushall, B. S., & Lippman, L. G. (1997). The role of imagery in physical performance. International Journal for Sport Psychology, 29, 57-72.

  6. A MODEL FOR PERFORMANCE-ENHANCEMENT IMAGERY

    Rushall, B. S. (1991). Imagery training in sports. Spring Valley, CA: Sports Science Associates and Belconnen, ACT, Australia: Australian Coaching Council.

  7. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT IMAGERY AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE

    Rushall, B. S., & Lippman, L. G. (1997). The role of imagery in physical performance. International Journal for Sport Psychology, 29, 57-72.

  8. CONCLUDING STATEMENTS ABOUT IMAGERY AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE

    Rushall, B. S., & Lippman, L. G. (1997). The role of imagery in physical performance. International Journal for Sport Psychology, 29, 57-72.

  9. MENTAL REHEARSAL AND IMAGERY

    Biddle, S. H. (1985). Mental preparation, mental practice and strength tasks: A need for clarification. Journal of Sports Sciences, 3, 67-74.

  10. TWO FORMS OF IMAGERY

    Biddle, S. H. (1985). Mental preparation, mental practice and strength tasks: A need for clarification. Journal of Sports Sciences, 3, 67-74.

  11. FACTORS MODERATING IMAGERY EFFECTIVENESS

    Mahoney, M. J. (1977, December). Cognitive skills and athletic performance. A paper presented at the 11th Annual Meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Atlanta, GA.

  12. PROPERTIES OF EFFECTIVE IMAGERY

    Denis, M. (1985). Visual imagery and the use of mental practice in the development of motor skills. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport Science, 10, 4S-16S.

  13. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD IMAGERY

    Cautela, J. R., & Kearney, A. J. (1986). The covert conditioning handbook. New York, NY: Springer (pp. 30-31).

  14. USE OF IMAGERY IN LEARNING

    Denis, M. (1985). Visual imagery and the use of mental practice in the development of motor skills. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport Science, 10, 4S-16S.

  15. MOVEMENT PATTERNS OCCUR IN IMAGERY

    Fujita, A. (1973, June). An experimental study on the theoretical basis of mental training. In the Proceedings of the 3rd World Congress of the International Society of Sports Psychology: Volume Abstracts. Madrid, Spain: Instituto Nacional de Educacion Fisica Y Deportes.

  16. MENTAL REHEARSAL/EVENT SPECIFICITY/PHYSIOLOGY

    Hecker, J. E., & Kaczor, L. M. (1988). Application of imagery theory to sport psychology. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 10, 363-373.

  17. IMAGERY FOR STRENGTH

    Wilkes, R. L., & Summers, J. J. (1984). Cognitions, mediating variables and strength performance. Journal of Sport Psychology, 6, 351-359.

  18. MENTAL PREPARATION IMAGERY

    Biddle, S. H. (1985). Mental preparation, mental practice and strength tasks: A need for clarification. Journal of Sports Sciences, 3, 67-74.

  19. TASK IMAGERY MIGHT ENHANCE TRANSFER EFFECTS FROM UNRELATED ACTIVITIES

    Van Gyn, G. H., Wenger, H. A., & Gaul, C. A. (1990). Imagery as a method of enhancing transfer from training to performance. Journal of Sport and Exercise Science, 12, 366-375.

  20. RELAXATION NOT NECESSARY FOR IMAGERY

    Weinberg, R. S., Seabourne, T. G., & Jackson, A. (1981). Effects of visuo-motor behavior rehearsal, relaxation, and imagery on karate performance. Journal of Sport Psychology, 3, 228-238.

  21. VISUALIZATION IS THE WRONG CONCEPT AND LABEL TO USE IN SPORTS

    Cautela, J. R., & Kearney, A. J. (Eds.), Covert conditioning casebook. Boston: Brooks-Cole (pp. 30-31).

    APPLIED RESEARCH USING IMAGERY AND OVERT BEHAVIORS

  22. IMAGERY REVIEW - MIXED CONCEPTS

    Howe, B. L. (1991). Imagery and sport performance. Sports Medicine, 11, 1-5.

  23. IMAGERY USE IN ROWING

    Barr, K., & Hall, C. (1992). The use of imagery by rowers. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 23, 243-261.

  24. IMAGERY WITH SOCCER PLAYERS

    Salmon, J., Hall, C., & Haslam, I. (1994). The use of imagery by soccer players. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 6, 116-133.

  25. IMAGERY TRAINING IMPROVES SKATING PERFORMANCE

    Rogers, W., Hall, C., & Buckholz, E. (1991). The effect of an imagery training program on imagery ability, imagery use, and figure skating performance. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 3, 109-125.

  26. A MENTAL PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT PACKAGE AND BASKETBALL GAME PERFORMANCE

    Kendall, G., Hrycaiko, D., Martin, G. L., & Kendall, T. (1990). The effects of an imagery rehearsal, relaxation, and self-talk package on basketball game performance. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12, 157-166.

  27. IMAGERY SKILLS BETTER IN SUPERIOR SKATERS

    Mumford, B., & Hall, C. (1985). The effects of internal and external imagery on performing figures in figure skating. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport Sciences, 10, 171-177.

  28. SKILLS IMAGERY AND PERFORMANCE

    Burhans, R. S., Richman, C. L., & Bergey, D. B. (1988). Mental imagery training: effects on running speed performance. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 19, 26-37.

  29. VMBR IMAGERY MODIFIED

    Suinn, R. M. (1985). Imagery rehearsal applications to performance enhancement. Behavior Therapist, 8, 155-159.

  30. TASK-SPECIFIC CONCENTRATION PRIOR TO PERFORMANCE

    Rotella, R. J., Gansneder, B., Ojala, D., & Billing, J. (1980). Cognitions and coping strategies of elite skiers: an exploratory study of young developing athletes. Journal of Sport Psychology, 2, 350-354.

  31. LOCATION OF IMAGERY PRACTICE

    Minas, S. C. (1978). Mental practice of a complex perceptual-motor skill. Journal of Human Movement Studies, 4, 102-107.

  32. IMAGERY IN FIGURE SKATERS

    Mumford, B., & Hall, C. (1985). The effects of internal and external imagery on performing figures in figure skating. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport Sciences, 10, 171-177.

  33. EFFECTIVE IMAGERY IN WEIGHT LIFTERS

    Baroga, L. (1973). Influence on the sporting result of the concentration of attention process and time taken in the case of weight lifters. In Proceedings of the 3rd World Congress of the International Society of Sports Psychology: Volume 3. Madrid, Spain: Instituto Nacional de Educacion Fisica Y Deportes.

  34. COGNITIVE REHEARSAL AND ANXIETY IN GYMNASTS

    Decaria, M. D. (1977). The effect of cognitive rehearsal training on performance and self-report of anxiety in novice and intermediate female gymnasts. Dissertation Abstracts International, 38(1-B), 351.

  35. REHEARSING AT TRAINING IMPROVES PERFORMANCES

    Rushall, B. S. (1970). Some applications of psychology to swimming. Swimming Technique, 7, 71-82.

    ATHLETES' STATEMENTS ABOUT IMAGERY

  36. ONE PLAYER'S MENTAL IMAGERY

    Bleier, R., & O'Neil, T. (1975). Fighting back. New York, NY: Stein and Day .

  37. ATHLETE'S TESTIMONY OF MENTAL IMAGERY

    Chicago Tribune, March 9, 1979.

    PROCEDURES FOR COVERT BEHAVIOR APPLICATIONS

  38. COVERT MODELING

    Cautela, J. R., & Kearney, A. J. (1986). The covert conditioning handbook. New York, NY: Springer .

  39. PHILOSOPHICAL BASES OF IMAGERY

    Cautela, J. R., & Kearney, A. J. (Eds.), Covert conditioning casebook. Boston: Brooks-Cole (pp. 11-13).

  40. PREREQUISITE FOR EFFECTIVE IMAGERY

    Cautela, J. R., & Kearney, A. J. (Eds.), Covert conditioning casebook. Boston: Brooks-Cole .

  41. GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING PROCEDURES INVOLVING IMAGERY (COVERT BEHAVIORS)

    Cautela, J. R., & Kearney, A. J. (1986). The covert conditioning handbook. New York, NY: Springer .

  42. HOW TO DEVELOP COVERT POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

    Cautela, J. R., & Kearney, A. J. (1986). The covert conditioning handbook. New York, NY: Springer (pp. 31-38).

  43. COVERT EXTINCTION

    Cautela, J. R., & Kearney, A. J. (1986). The covert conditioning handbook. New York, NY: Springer .

  44. PROCEDURES FOR DEVELOPING IMAGERY DETAILS

    Cautela, J. R., & Kearney, A. J. (1986). The covert conditioning handbook. New York, NY: Springer (pp. 82-84).

  45. MODEL CHARACTERISTICS IN COVERT IMAGERY PROCEDURES

    Lowe, S. E. (1978). The comparative effectiveness of ideal self, ideal person, and real self as models in covert modeling procedures. Dissertation Abstracts International, 39, 988B .

  46. COVERT MODELING OF FEARS

    Emmelcamp, P. M. (1982). Anxiety and fear. In A. S. Bellack, M. Hersen, and A. E. Kazdin (Eds.). International handbook of behavior modification and therapy. New York, NY: Plenum Press .

  47. COVERT NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT

    Cautela, J. R., & Kearney, A. J. (1986). The covert conditioning handbook. New York, NY: Springer. pp. 38-42.

  48. USE OF IMAGERY TO RESTORE CONFIDENCE

    Rushall, B. S. (1988). Covert modeling as a procedure for altering an elite athlete's psychological state. The Sport Psychologist, 2, 131-140.

  49. IMAGERY, RESTORATION OF CONFIDENCE, AND PERFORMANCE

    Rushall, B. S. (1992). The restoration of performance capacity by cognitive restructuring and covert positive reinforcement in an elite athlete. In J. R. Cautela & A. J. Kearney (Eds), Covert conditioning casebook. Boston: Brooks-Cole.

    DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN IMAGERY RESEARCH

  50. PROBLEMS WITH IMAGERY RESEARCH

    Hall, C. R., (1985). Individual differences in the mental practice and imagery of motor skill performance. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport Sciences, 10, 17S-21S .

  51. IMAGERY REVIEW MIXED CONCEPTS

    Howe, B. L. (1991). Imagery and sport performance. Journal of Sports Medicine, 11, 1-5. [Duplicate].

  52. IMAGERY ABILITY MEASUREMENT

    Hall, C., Pongrac, J., & Buckholz, E. (9185). The measurement of imagery ability. Human Movement Science, 4, 107-118.

    SUGGESTED READINGS

  53. HOW TO USE IMAGERY IN SPORTS FOR COACHES AND SPORT PSYCHOLOGISTS

    Rushall, B. S. (1991). Imagery training in sports. Spring Valley, CA: Sports Science Associates. Published in Australia by the Australian Coaching Council, Canberra, ACT.

  54. IMAGERY TRAINING EXERCISES FOR ATHLETES

    Rushall, B. S. (1995). Mental skills training for sports. Spring Valley, CA: Sports Science Associates. Published in Australia by the Australian Coaching Council, Canberra, ACT.

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