Fun Fact: Imagery is like playing a movie inside your head, but you're the main character, and you can feel, touch, see, and hear everything! 🎥✨

• Definition: Using all senses to recreate or create an experience in the mind. 🌈🧠
• Other names: mental practice or mental simulation. Think of it as a "mind rehearsal".

• Central to applied psychology in sports.
• Benefits
  • Enhances motor task performance (moving smoothly).
  • Increases muscular strength 💪.
  • Speeds up movement 🏃‍♂️💨.

🌍 Real-World Example: Before a basketball game, a player might imagine herself making perfect shots, listening to the ball swish through the net, and feeling the grip of the ball. This can help her perform better during the actual game!

• "Why" and "how" has puzzled researchers for a long time.
• Several theories proposed
  • Psychoneuromuscular theory - Imagery can help in muscle movement.
  • Symbolic learning theory - Imagery helps in understanding movements.
  • Attention-arousal theory - Imagery helps in focus and alertness.
  • Bio-informational theory - Imagery activates brain pathways.