ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Original Research

Authors

Rostami   R. (* )
Rezaee   M. (1 )






(* ) Physical Education Department, Education and Psychology Faculty, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
(1 ) Physical Education Department, Education and Psychology Faculty, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Correspondence

Article History

Received:  April  19, 2013
Accepted:  March 10, 2014
ePublished:  April 2, 2014

BRIEF TEXT


… [1-4] Exercises result in storage and retrieval of information in memory; and as a result, motion skills are produced based on the previous learned practices [5]. … [6] Psychological skills include preparation of thoughts and feelings in order to keep calm and confident during technical skill performances [7, 8]. … [9-10] Sport imagery is defined as a process to use all senses in order to improve sport performance through the exercise via creation or renovation of the sport experience in mind [11-13]. Imagery refers to cognitive parameters and creation of motion program in the central nervous system, based on symbolic learning theory. However, it refers to motion parameters similar to the real motion, according to psychoneuromuscular theory [13, 17].

… [18-35]. According to Hanrahan study mental skill training shows more effectiveness on amputee athlete using wheelchair [36]. The results of study by Shearer et al. show the effectiveness of expertise imagery interventions on the athlete’s individual perceptions and social efficiency [37]. It seems that other studies have focused on the mental profile of the athletes with disabilities [2-4].

The aim of this study was to predict cognitive and motivational functions of sport imagery, based on age, visual and motor imagery ability in Iranian veteran basketball players.

The method is correlational descriptive type.

The study was done on all the veteran basketball players participating in national competitions held in Shiraz city in 2007.

Subjects included 40 volunteer players from the provinces of the country, participated in the study using census method.

Demographic, motor imagery (VMIQ), visual imagery (VVIQ) and sport imagery (SIQ) questionnaires, were used Issac’s VMIQ questionnaire was used to assess motor imagery ability [38]. It contains 24 items. This questionnaire is scored as Likert’s five-score scale from 1 (entirely obvious) to 5 (very low obvious), based on imagery clarity. The test’s reliability was reported 0.76, and its validity was reported 0.81 by Issac et al. [38]. The test’s reliability was obtained 0.87 in a study by Hemayat Talab et al. [39]. Marx’s VVIQ questionnaire was used to assess visual imagery ability [40]. This questionnaire contains 16 items, and it is scored, concerning Likert’s five-score scale from 1 (entirely obvious) to 5 (very low obvious), based on imagery clarity. The domain of the scores is from 16 to 80, and the lower score indicates high imagery ability. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient has been reported 0.88 by Campos for this scale [41]. The questionnaire’s reliability has been computed 0.82 by Hemayat Talab et al. in 2007 [39]. Hall’s SIQ questionnaire was used to assess sport imagery [19]. This questionnaire contains 30 questions with 5 functions, scored according to Likert’s 7- score scale. Sport imagery have 5 functions including “cognitive specific” (CS), “cognitive general” (CG), “motivational specific” (MS), “motivational general-mastery” (MG-M), and “motivational-general arousal” (MG-A) imageries. Validity of the questionnaire was assessed 0.49 by Rostami et al. [42]. SPSS 16 software was used for statistical analyses. Spearman correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between age, motor imagery ability (internal and external), and visual imagery ability (opened and closed eyes) variables with sport imagery functions. The predictive ability of sport imagery functions was assessed based on “age”, “visual imagery”, “and motor imagery” variables, based on the results of the correlation coefficient, and using of regression equation step by step.

The mean age and height of the studied athletes were 39.9±5.9 years and 171.9±8.9 cm, respectively. There was a correlation between “age” and “cognitive specific”, “motivational general-arousal”, “motivational general-mastery”, and “general sport” imagery functions. There was correlation between “opened-eyes visual imagery ability” and “motivational specific”, “cognitive general”, and “general sport” imagery functions. The highest average score belonged to “motivational specific imagery” and the lowest average belonged to “cognitive general imagery”. “Age” was predictive for “motivational specific”, “motivational general-arousal”, “motivational general-mastery”, and “general sport” imagery functions. “Opened-eyes visual imagery ability” was predictive for “motivational specific imagery” function.

Results of a study by Rostami and Rezaie, shows an increase in mental imagery and in motivational general-mastery imagery among girl student basketball players with aging [24], are in contrast with the results of the present study. Results of some studies, concerning a reduction in motivational specific imagery as a result of low clarity of the opened-eyes visual imagery [26, 27, 31], are consistent with the related results of the present study. Utilization rate of general motivational-mastery function is lower than motivational specific among athletes, is confirmed by a study done by Gregg et al. [26]. Results of the present study that show that motivational specific function and cognitive general function have the highest and the lowest averages respectively, are consistent with those of Salmon et al. [20].‏ Results of the present study, that show a reduction in motivational general-expertise function with aging, are consistent with those of Gregg et al. [23]. Barr and Hall, demonstrates simultaneous usage of both cognitive and motivational functions [22], which are inconsistent with the results of the present study. White and Hardy, show that using imagery among athletes concerning cognitive and motivational functions [21], are inconsistent with the results of the present study. Results of a study done by Gregg et al., concerning mediation role of visual and sensory-motion imagery abilities [23], are consistent with the results of the present study, showing a more important role for clarity in visual imagery than other functions.

According to the obtained results, the age has to be considered as an effective item in psychological studies. It is necessary that mental imagery ability to be assessed as a mediator variable in the studies.

The small population was of the limitations of the present study and might affect the results. In addition, due to the less number of same studies, few comparisons with other studies were possible.

There is a correlation between sport imagery functions with “age” and “opened-eyes visual imagery ability” variables. On the other hand, sport imagery functions (“motivational specific”, “motivational general-mastery”, and “motivational general-arousal”) are predicted according to “age”, i. e. the use of the aforementioned functions decreases by aging. Opened-eyes visual imagery predicts “motivational specific” function, and motivational specific function decreases by opened-eyes imagery decreasing.

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CITIATION LINKS

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