Stress management: Imagery.

The idea

Imagery is a psychological skill in which a performer creates or recreates a sporting experience in the mind using the senses, so the brain rehearses the movement or situation without physically performing it. A gymnast might picture a vault routine from a first-person view, feeling the run-up, the spring off the board and the landing, or from an external view, watching themselves as if on video. Imagery can be visual, kinaesthetic, auditory or emotional, and it is used to build confidence, control arousal, focus attention and rehearse technique or tactics. Its effectiveness depends on vividness, controllability and practice, and it is most useful when combined with realistic cues from the actual performance environment.

What earns the marks

• Imagery is the mental creation or recreation of a sporting experience using the senses.
• Performers use imagery to rehearse technique or tactics, build confidence, control arousal and direct attention.
• Effectiveness depends on vividness, controllability and regular practice, ideally linked to realistic performance cues.
• Imagery is a cognitive stress-management and mental-rehearsal technique, not simply daydreaming or positive thinking.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Thinking imagery is only visual.

  Put it right: It also includes kinaesthetic, auditory and emotional sensations, so a performer should feel the movement as well as see it.

• Confusing imagery with positive self-talk.

  Put it right: Self-talk uses words and phrases, whereas imagery recreates a sensory experience of the skill or situation.

• Assuming imagery works instantly.

  Put it right: It needs regular, structured practice with vivid and controllable images to influence performance.

• Believing imagery must always be first-person.

  Put it right: External imagery, watching yourself as if on video, is also valid and useful for some skills.

Exam tips

• Define imagery precisely, then give a named sporting example showing the sense or perspective used.
• Link imagery to a specific benefit such as confidence, arousal control or technique rehearsal rather than listing benefits vaguely.
• Use correct terminology such as vividness, controllability, internal and external imagery to show precise understanding.