Imagery in dance and aesthetic sports: A potential area for cross-talk?

Nordin, Sanna BSc, PhD, Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom; and Cumming, Jennifer PhD, School of Sport & Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Dancers and aesthetic sport athletes have similar performance demands, and may therefore engage in and benefit from similar types of imagery. However, to date no studies have examined whether aesthetic sport athletes engage in images related to artistry, movement quality and roles. By contrast, dancers frequently engage in such images and find them helpful.^1,2 Consequently, this study compared the imagery of dancers and aesthetic sport athletes. Additionally, the relationship between imagery types and self-confidence was explored. Materials included the Sport Imagery Questionnaire³, the Dance Imagery Questionnaire⁴, the Trait Sport Confidence Inventory⁵, and open-ended questions. Participants were 144 dancers and 124 aesthetic athletes, mainly female, 18.98 (SD = 3.91) years old, and ranging from recreational to elite levels. Dancers engaged in more imagery of roles and movement quality than aesthetic athletes, and seemingly more imagery overall. Dancers at higher levels imaged more frequently than lower level dancers, but this was not the case for athletes. Performers who imaged more frequently were more confident, and for dancers the DIQ predicted additional variance in self-confidence beyond that offered by the SIQ. Altogether, the DIQ might be suitable for investigating the imagery of aesthetic athletes as well as dancers.

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Nordin SM, Cumming J: Professional dancers describe their imagery: Where, when, what, why and how. Sport Psychol. 2005;19:395-416.

Hall CR, Mack DE, Paivio A, Hausenblas HA: Imagery use by athletes: Development of the Sport Imagery Questionnaire. Int J Sport Psychol. 1998;29:73-89.

Nordin SM, Cumming J: Measuring the content of dancers? images: Development of the Dance Imagery Questionnaire (DIQ). J Dance Med Sci. 2006;3&4:85-98.

Vealey RS: Conceptualization of sport confidence and competitive orientation: Preliminary investigation and instrument development. J Sport Psychol. 1986;8: 221-246.