INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to consider the characteristics of mental imagery abilities (vividness and controllability of imagery) among junior alpine skiers and the improvement effects of imagery training. Alpine skiers need to conduct training or rehearsal while boosting their mental images to demonstrate their true abilities in a race. As evidence of this, many studies support the effect of mental practice on learning a motor skill. In this regard however, it seems that skiers who have lower mental imagery ability also have weaker mental images and/or less-enhanced training or rehearsal. Mental imagery ability develops remarkably from the boyhood/girlhood to adolescence. Therefore, it seems that mental imagery abilities of junior athletes will vary greatly; however, individuals may achieve significant improvements using short-term intensive training. METHOD: 12 junior alpine skiers (12-17 years) took part in imagery training held in the off-season. The training was done by the following procedures. 1) The significance and method of imagery training was explained. Then, various situations how alpine skiers utilize mental images were introduced. 2) Mental imagery abilities were assessed using psychological scales generated from a questionnaire, mental rotation tasks (MRT), and an interview with them as they recalled mental images of a scene during skiing (pre test). 3) Image stories were presented to them allowing them to recall information using visual, kinesthetic and affective imagery. The athletes implemented their training everyday for one month at home utilizing these stories. They also recorded their subjective percent completion of their own images and what they became aware of during their training. 4) Mental imagery abilities were assessed by the same method as those of pre test (post test). RESULTS and DISCUSSION: The vividness and controllability of imagery which were assessed in the pre test was quite variable among individuals and there was a small gender influence. Among test participants, the clarity of the internal motor imagery of younger athletes tended to be lower than that of external visual imagery. In those athletes who a had low level of clarity, more frequent inhibitory modes developed in recalling the images of the scene during the skiing. In the post test after one-month of training, the clarity of their kinesthetic imagery and affective imagery improved. In the MRT which used a hand illustration to assess the controllability, reaction time, in which the measurements of the right and left hands were completed, was significantly reduced (f=2.46, p<.05) (Fig. 1). Because readiness of the participants in various areas of functional development is high for this age group, it is possible that participants participated in other experiences that could have produced some effects, although they were assumed to be small. Those participants who had clear subjective percent completion of training realized their improvements in mental imagery and enhanced their feelings of efficacy for their ski performances. CONCLUSION: The differences among individuals in mental imagery abilities among junior alpine skiers are large and there are some low-level individuals. However a short, but intensive imagery training program can seemingly provide improvements in imagery effects centered on controllability.
© Copyright 2010 Book of Abstracts. 5th International Congress on Science and Skiing, Dec. 14 - 19, 2010, St. Christoph am Arlberg. Veröffentlicht von University of Salzburg, Interfakultärer Fachbereich Sport- und Bewegungswissenschaft/USI. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.