Visualização mental no desporto adaptado: um estudo com alguns dos melhores atletas portugueses de Boccia

Abstract

The present study examined the characteristics of imagery in boccia athletes, including where, when, how and why athletes resorted to this skill. Differences in experience and competitive level were also analyzed. Twenty-six athletes of both sexes (19% female and 81% male), aged between 19 and 55 years old (M = 30.3, SD = 7.7), completed the Imagery Use Questionnaire, which is the Portuguese version (4) of the Imagery Use Questionnaire for Soccer Players (31), as well as the Portuguese version (8) of the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (15). The results showed that imagery was more used in competition than in training situations, but it was also used outside these settings. Both in competition and in training, imagery was used more often during than before or after. Additionally, when imagining, athletes preferred to adopt an internal rather than an external perspective, although the latter produced more vivid images. Imagery was more used with cognitive (specific and general) and motivational general-mastery functions, but images were more vivid as regards motivational functions specific and general-activation functions. Finally, the analysis of the results revealed that athletes’ experience and competitive level were associated with the vividness and frequency of imagery use. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR