2024/06/22 by Francesca Grosso, Camilla Balzarini, Alessandro Antonietti +1 · 1 voice
Medicine · Psychology · #Flow Experience in Various Fields #Sport Psychology and Performance #Sports Performance and Training
paper · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104366
openalex publication_date 2024/06/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
The study aimed to examine the effect of mental imagery on sports performance. Specifically, it was tested whether imagining flying (i.e., air travel) increases jumping performance in a group of female volleyball players. The study included 46 female young athletes (mean age = 15.23 years; standard deviation = 2.4) divided into two groups: the experimental group viewed a three-dimensional video that simulated a flying experience, while the control group watched neutral footage. The jump performance of both groups was measured before and after viewing the videos, using the Vertec Like® instrument to assess jump height. Participants were assessed for their flow disposition, mental imagery skills, and image vividness. Comparing pre-post jump performance scores, the experimental group showed a significant improvement over the control group, with a medium-large effect size (d = 0.634). There was no significant association between flow disposition, mental imagery skills, image vividness, and pre-post jumping performance differences (respectively: β = −0.107, p = .484; β = −0.008, p = .957; β = 0.024, p = .913). These findings suggest that the experience of imagining flying, enhanced with an immersive video, has a positive effect on jumping performance in a one-session study with young female volleyball players. This effect does not appear to be associated with pre-existing characteristics or the vividness of the image itself. • Mental imagery is a powerful tool used by athletes to visualize and rehearse performance scenarios. • The use of an immersive video to visualize flying can have an immediate positive impact on the jumping performance. • The utilization of imagination has the potential to assist athletes in their mental preparation, enabling them to surpass their perceived limits. • Mental imagery can be used in conjunction with physical training to enhance skill acquisition and performance.