Annotated Bibliography: Mental Rehearsal in Sports

Bertollo, M., Saltarelli, B., & Robazza, C. (2009). Mental preparation strategies of elite modern pentathletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10(2), 244-254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2008.09.003

The study examined the range of preparation strategies and coping responses employed by elite modern pentathletes. The authors wanted to examine the athletes mental preparation strategies and behaviors in the days before their essential event, before, during, and after the competition. This was a qualitative study that employed interviews for its data collection. The sample size was 14 athletes (six women and eight men) aged between 21 and 33. The interviews were conducted during the competitive season, not close to the critical competitions. The interviews were semi-structured face-to-face individual interviews lasting between 60-90 minutes (Bertollo et al., 2009). Due to the interview duration, it was impossible to report all the information obtained. The authors selected representative quotes related to the study. The information was grouped into six higher-order themes: attitudes during training, behaviors during training, behaviors outside training, mental practice, goal setting, and seeking optimal feelings.

Athletes perform various mental practices during training, before competitions, and after competitions to ensure they stay at their optimal level. These activities motivate them and teach them how to cope with anxiety and competition stress, enabling them to perform at their peak levels. Since the athletes had not received formal training in sport psychology, the pentathletes managed to employ different approaches for different purposes to suit their needs.

Bertollo et al. (2009) hope the study can help sports psychologists be better equipped to offer their services to athletes. Sport psychology consultants should observe the athletes preparation strategies, coping responses, and sources of concern before offering suggestions. Differences in individual emotional and cognitive experiences affect their performance before, during, and after the competition. The study initiates the discussion on the psychological preparation of top-level modern pentathletes. The results can be used to develop mental programs that athletes can use to bolster their behaviors and thoughts before, during, and after the competition.

Calmels, C., & Fournier, J. F. (2001). Duration of physical and mental execution of gymnastic routines. The Sport Psychologist, 15(2), 142-150. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.15.2.142

The purpose of the study was to observe the mental practice employed by elite gymnasts by comparing the duration of their mental and actual executions of a floor movement. The authors did not formulate a hypothesis since they wanted to gather information on the use of imagery by elite athletes who have mastered their skills (Calmels & Fournier, 2001). However, they hypothesized that if their results were confirmed, then increasing the duration of some stages under mental conditions could be linked to the perception of the difficulty of the gymnastics elements (Calmels & Fournier, 2001). The study used twelve elite female gymnasts aged between 13 and 30 years. There were two conditions assigned to the gymnasts. The first condition required them to execute their floor routine normally. The second condition required them to rehearse the performance mentally. Each gymnast was filmed during both the mental and physical rehearsal conditions. The procedure was executed and repeated for three consecutive days.

The statistical results indicate the duration of the physical routine was longer than the duration of the imagined routine for all seven performances performed by the gymnast (F (1,11) = 55.62, p <.0001, ES = 1.91). Calmels and Fournier (2001) noted no difference between the duration of the mental rehearsal routine for the six stages in the three trials conducted. The same was observed for the physical routines. Therefore, using one trial would have been sufficient to determine the studys similarity of mental and physical rehearsals. The use of imagery reassured, calmed, and bolstered the gymnasts self-confidence. The mental routine was shorter than the actual routine because the participants were not using it to perfect their skills. Instead, they were reviewing the integral components of the routine. The study can be used to understand how athletes visualize their performance before they do it physically. The visualization of their performance is also faster than their physical performance. Therefore, we can use the study results to predict how fast an athlete would perform based on their visualization. The study can improve gymnasts performance by encouraging them to visualize their performance before physically attempting it. The study posits that elite gymnasts visualize faster than non-elite gymnasts.

Gaggioli, A., Morganti, L., Mondoni, M., & Antonietti, A. (2013). Benefits of combined mental and physical training in...…identify strategies for increasing athletes self-confidence before the competition. Using these advanced strategies can benefit athletes and coaches, and they can maximize the psychological benefits they would reap from implementing them. The article increases knowledge on mental rehearsal and places sport psychology in a stronger position.

Summary

The use of mental rehearsal techniques is effective in various sports. When an athlete wants to improve their performance, they can rely on physical training too much and overlook the importance of mental training. The studies have demonstrated how effective mental rehearsal is in improving performance. Sports psychologist should encourage athletes to practice visual techniques of their sport as it ensures they can create an imagery of their performance, which assist in reducing their anxiety and they can learn new skills. With experienced athletes, the use of mental rehearsal will allow them to increase their confidence and lower their anxiety levels, which in turn improves their performance. Mental rehearsal should be incorporated as part of the training needed by the athlete and not used just before their competition. Continuous mental preparation allows the athlete to visualize their performance and see how they can improve wherethey have struggled. Visualization is a powerful technique employed in various fields with the same positive effects.

To successfully perform in their sport, skilled athletes have to prepare mentally. Mental preparation involves learning how to control anxiety, and reducing negative self-talk allows an athlete to recover from mistakes and increase self-confidence. Visualization has been shown to teach athletes a new skill effectively. Therefore, it can be used by novices or experienced athletes to increase their knowledge and bolster their motivation. Learning a new skill takes time, and any assistance offered to an athlete should be welcomed. As was the case with the female basketball players who learned how to perform a lay-up routine from visualization using guided audio, it is possible for other athletes to also learn a new skill through mental rehearsal. Coaches should endeavor to have mental and physical techniques when training athletes if they want to improve performance and teach a new skill. Relying solely on physical training would not have the same effect as combined mental and physical training.