Psychological Skill Training (PST) - Imagery
This time, I am going to share a Psychological Skill Training (PST) that I used to improve my sports performance: Imagery (the same as visualization, mental rehearsal, symbolic rehearsal, covert practice, and mental practice).
Simply put, the psychological skill of imagery creates an experience in your mind, an experience that you wish would happen. It produces neuromuscular impulses. With scientific support, arm muscles have electromyographic activation when imagining lifting a dumbbell. Imagery acts as a stimulus to trigger physiological responses like increases in heart rate. The Symbolic Learning Theory also suggested that imagery may function as a coding system to help people understand and acquire movement patterns. Ideal use of imagery can improve concentration, motivation, performance, and building up confidence.
How to Construct an Imagery Training Program? What should be included in the imagery? How do we put this skill into actual use?
The tailored imagery training can be written into a script or recorded as an audio track or video. According to the chosen media, the training will involve reading, listening, watching, and, most importantly, thinking. It is vital to make sure that it is easy to access and adjust. Printing and sticking it on the wall will be a good idea because the training should be built into a daily routine and can occur anytime, anywhere.
Effective imagery consists of two keys: vividness and controllability. Vivid imagery should involve as many senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing) and be as detailed as possible. Controllable imagery comes from practice. Practice makes the image repeatable and manipulatable.
Researchers offered guidelines called PETTLEP to help build detailed imagery. The following information can be provided to construct effective imagery.
Physical—details of the physical properties of the task, like clothing or implements.
Environment—details of where you will be performing the task.
Type of the task—The image of performing the task should be identical to the actual performance of the task.
Timing of the movement—Slow motion is used for learning or refining the skills, real-time is used for tempo accuracy, and fast motion is used for energizing and focusing.
Learning stage—The imagery should match the current learning emphasis and follow the progress of the skill acquisition.
Emotion—details of emotional changes while performing the task, Including both stimulus and response propositions (what triggers your feeling and how your body physiologically responds).
Perspective—Use either an internal (First-person) or an external (Third-person) perspective to choose a comfortable perspective that produces clear, controllable images.
My own experiences of using imagery
First, I created a script and read it before bed. I then recited the key points once I woke up. Gradually, I could memorize my script and close my eyes to imagine what it looked like. I made minor adjustments to match the focus of my recent training. Practice frequency will increase closer to the competition. It helped me revise every detail of my jump and improved my consistency.
I also tried using AI to generate a rock ballad to arouse myself. I played it before my competition to hype myself up or used it as an audio cue when doing PST.
Although I used this technique as an athlete, its application is beyond sports. Artists, musicians, or even the military can benefit from imagery. As long as you have a specific task you would like to perform, like setting up a strategy, a physical skill, or motivating yourself, Imagery will be a great tool. The more you practice using the tool, the more efficient it will become!
Link to the AI music creation program: https://suno.com/
Link to my simple imagery script: Imagery Script (07/05/2024)
Reference
Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology (7th edition) Chapter 14
