20 – Imagery & Observational Learning

Exploration of ways in which an athlete can develop and enhance their sports skills without actually performing them:  by using imagery and observational learning.  Does mentally rehearsing or imaging yourself performing an action really make you a better athlete? Can it sometimes be a bad thing to do? What is going on in our brain when we do it? How can we improve our imagery ability? Can watching someone else perform a skill make us a better athlete?  Can imagery and observational learning be used together? Imagine the possibilities!   Links to articles discussed: The PETTLEP Approach to Motor Imagery: A Functional Equivalence Model for Sport Psychologists It's All in the Mind: PETTLEP-Based Imagery and Sports Performance "Don't Miss!" The Debilitating Effects of Suppressive Imagery on Golf Putting Performance Putting in the mind versus putting on the green: Expertise, performance time, and the linking of imagery and action A neuroscientific review of imagery and observation use in sport Action Observation and Acquired Motor Skills: An fMRI Study with Expert Dancers Visualizing Trumps Vision in Training Attention A direct comparison of the effects of imagery and action observation on hitting performance More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc)   Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Bleeding Rainbows - Images Electric Jellyfish – Image of Power, Poolside Cortland Goffena – Oh, the Irony Silence is Sexy – You are a Mirror The Jay Vons – Keep on Moving   via freemusicarchive.org and jamendo.com