Document Type : Original research study
Author
Abstract
The aim of present study was to determine the relationship between sport imagery ability and observational learning functions among male athletes. 115 male athletes, who participated in 12st varsity sport tournament with mean age of 22.89±3.94 age years, completed the research questionnaires. Results showed that there were significant positive correlations between sport imagery ability and functions of observational learning subscales. Results of stepwise hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that the skill and goal imagery ability significantly predicted the skill function of observational learning, and the strategy imagery ability significantly predicted the strategies of observational learning function. Also, the performance function of observational learning significantly was predicted by goal and mastery imagery abilities. Based on these findings, could be suggested that coaches and sport psychologists can improve the effectiveness of imagery and observational learning by matching the imagery ability types and alternatives observational learning functions in relatively high skilled athletes.
Keywords
- Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
- Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control: Macmillan.
- Bentler PM, Chou C-P. Practical issues in structural modeling. Sociological Methods & Research. 1987;16(1):78-117.
- Buccino, G., Binkofski, F., Fink, G. R., Fadiga, L., Fogassi, L., Gallese, V., . . . Freund, H. J. (2001). Action observation activates premotor and parietal areas in a somatotopic manner: an fMRI study. European journal of neuroscience, 13(2), 400-404.
- Cumming, J., Clark, S. E., Ste-Marie, D. M., McCullagh, P., & Hall, C. (2005). The functions of observational learning questionnaire (FOLQ). Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 6(5), 517-537.
- Cumming, J., & Hall, C. (2002). Athletes' use of imagery in the off-season. The Sport Psychologist, 16, 160-172.
- Cumming, J., & Ramsey, R.1. (2008). Imagery interventions in sport. Advances in Applied Sport Psychology, 5.
- Ehrsson, H. H., Geyer, S., & Naito, E. (2003). Imagery of voluntary movement of fingers, toes, and tongue activates corresponding body-part-specific motor representations. Journal of neurophysiology, 90(5), 3304-3316.
- Gregg, M., Hall, C., & Nederhof, E. (2005). The imagery ability, imagery use, and performance relationship. The Sport Psychologist, 19(1), 93-99.
- Hall, C. (1998). Measuring imagery abilities and imagery use. Advances in sport and exercise psychology measurement, 165-172.
- Hall, C. R., Mack, D. E., Paivio, A., & Hausenblas, H. A. (1998). Imagery use by athletes: development of the Sport Imagery Questionnaire. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 29. 89-73, (1).
- Hall, C. R., & Martin, K. A. (1997). Measuring movement imagery abilities: a revision of the movement imagery questionnaire. Journal of mental imagery.
- Hall, C. R., Munroe-Chandler, K. J., Cumming, J., Law, B., Ramsey, R., & Murphy, L (2009). Imagery and observational learning use and their relationship to sport confidence. J Sports Sci, 27(4), 327-337.
- Hatami, F., Hatami Shahmir, E., & Tahmasbi, F. (in press). The study of psychometric Properties of Persian Version of Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire. quarterly of Strategic Studies On Youth And Sports.
- Johnson, P. (1982). The functional equivalence of imagery and movement. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 34(3), 349-365.
- Law, B., & Hall, C. (2009). Observational learning use and self-efficacy beliefs in adult sport novices. Psychology of sport and exercise,, 10(2), 263-270.
- Lawrence, G., Callow, N., & Roberts, R. (2013). Watch me if you can: imagery ability moderates observational learning effectiveness. Front Hum Neurosci, 7.
- Martin, K. A., Moritz, S. E., & Hall, C. R. (1999). Imagery use in sport: a literature review and applied model. The Sport Psychologist.
- McCullagh, P., & Weiss, M. (2001). Modeling: Considerations for motor skill performance and psychological responses. Handbook of sport psychology, 2, 205-238.
- Murphy, S., Nordin, S. M., & Cumming, J. (2008). Imagery in sport, exercise and dance.
- Nordin, S. M., & Cumming, J. (2008). Types and functions of athletes’ imagery: Testing predictions from the applied model of imagery use by examining effectiveness. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 6(2), 189-206.
- Paivio, A. (1985). Cognitive and motivational functions of imagery in human performance. Canadian journal of applied sport sciences. Journal canadien des sciences appliquées au sport, 10(4), 22S-28S.
- Roberts, R., Callow, N., Hardy, L., Markland, D., & Bringer, J. (2008). Movement imagery ability: Development and assessment of a revised version of the vividness of movement imagery questionnaire. J Sport Exerc Psychol(30), 200-221.
- Rymal, A. M., & Ste-Marie, D. M. (2009). Does self-modeling affect imagery ability or vividness? Journal of Imagery Research in Sport and Physical Activity, 4. (1).
- Tahmasbi, F., Hatami Shahmir, E., & Hatami, F. (2013). The effects of sport skill type (open-closed) on observational learning use in male and female elite athletes. J Mot Behav, 5(13), 139-154.
- Wesch, N. N., Law, B., & Hall, C. R. (2007). The use of observational learning by athletes. Journal of Sport Behavior, 30(2), 219.
- Williams, S. E., & Cumming, J. (2011). Measuring athlete imagery ability: the sport imagery ability questionnaire. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 33, 416-440.
- Williams, S. E., & Cumming, J. (2012). Athletes’ ease of imaging predicts their imagery and observational learning use. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 13(4), 363-370.
- Williams, S. E., Cumming, J., & Edwards, M. G. (2011). The functional equivalence between movement imagery, observation, and execution influences imagery ability. Res Q Exerc Sport, 82(3), 555-564.