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Lecture 6: Arousal Regulation And Imagery
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Muscle Relaxation
 learning to distinguish tension & relaxation
 systematic contracting & relaxing of each major muscle group
 breath control
 trigger words
 muscle relaxation decreases mental tension
Systematic Desensitization
 Form of counterconditioning (J. Wolpe)
 replacing undesired Pavlovian CR with incompatible (desired) CR
 Step 1: Relaxation training
 Step 2: Anxiety hierarchy
 Step 3: Counterconditioning (imagery or participant modeling)
Biofeedback Training
 Miller & DiCara (1954)
 Making athlete aware of a physiological index of arousal
 muscle tension
 skin temperature
 skin resistance
 Direct or Indirect?
Cognitive-Affective Stress Management
 SMT (Smith, 1980)
 individualized program that combines physical and cognitive coping
responses
 relaxation training
 cognitive restructuring
 skill rehearsal/simulation exercises
Imagery
 Imagery involves: creating or
 recreating an experience in your mind
 Imagery involves all the senses: visual, kinesthetic, auditory, tactile, olfactory
 Imagery involves moods & emotions
Does Imagery Work?
 Anecdotal Reports: Jack Nicklaus, Chris Evert

-ball,
 Olympic Ski Team
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performer affect how imagery will enhance performance.
 Novice and highly skilled performers who use imagery on cognitive tasks
show the most performance effects.
How Imagery Works
 Psychoneuromuscular theory
 Imagined events innervate the muscles like physical movement and
thereby strengthen neural pathways
 Symbolic learning theory
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Imagery functions as a mental blueprint to help people understand and
remember movement patterns
 Psychological skills theory
 Imagery refines concentration, confidence, and other mental skills
Uses of Imagery
 Improve concentration
 Build confidence
 Control emotional responses
 Practice sport skills
Types of Imagery
 Internal imagery
 Imagine the execution of a skill from your own perspective.
 External imagery
 View yourself from the perspective of an external observer.
 Whether a person uses an internal or external image appears to be less
important than choosing a comfortable style that produces clear controllable
images.
Basics of Imagery
 Vividness
 Recreate or create as closely as possible the actual experiences in your mind
as an image. Use all the senses and emotions.
 Exercise: imagine home, Positive performance, best performance
 Controllability
 Learn to manipulate your images so they do what you want them to.
Developing an Imagery Program
 Tailor imagery programs to athlete’s individual needs, abilities, & interests.
To do this imagery skills must be evaluated.
 Imagery Must Be Individualized & Practiced. Hence, it should be built into an
athlete’s daily routine.
 Proper setting
 Relaxed concentration
 Imagine in real imagery time
When to Use Imagery
 Before & after practice
 Before & after competition
 During breaks in action (in practice & competitions)
 When recovering from injury