Abstract

The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if imagery preceded by arousal or relaxation was more effective in terms of the quality of the imagery as well as performance on a variety of motor tasks. Subjects (N=42) were students enrolled in self-defense classes which met three times a week for 16 weeks. The first six weeks of class served as a baseline period for the performance tests which included three karate measures (skill, combinations and sparring), and muscular endurance. Starting on week seven, subjects, were matched based on their baseline ability measures and then randomly assigned to one of the following conditions: (1) arousal/imagery, (2) relaxation/imagery, (3) placebo control. During the next four weeks the experimenter met with all subjects individually and helped train them in their specific technique. Subject were tested on weeks 12 and 16 and told to utilize their mental preparation strategy just prior to each performance test. Results indicated that the relaxation/imagery condition produced significantly better performance on the karate measure of skill than all other conditions. No other main effects or interactions reached significance. In addition, no significant between-group differences were found for any of the imagery measures with subjects generally reporting clear, vivid, controllable images. Results are discussed in terms of task specificity and the arousal-performance-relationship. Verf.-Referat