FACTORS INFLUENCING VISUALIZATION AND ATHLETIC SELF-IMAGE IN STUDENT-ATHLETES

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of sex, level of schooling, sport type, and years of competitive practice on the psychological attributes of student-athletes, specifically examining kinetic imagery, mental imagery, and athletic self-image. A quasi-experimental design was employed with a sample of 366 student-athletes (152 female, 214 male). Participants completed the Movement Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ) to assess kinetic and mental imagery, and a measure of athletic self-image. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA. Results indicated that years of competitive practice had a significant main effect on athletic self-image (p < .001), with athletes having six or more years of experience reporting a stronger self-image than those with less experience. Significant differences were also found by sex, with males reporting greater ease in mental imagery (p = .030), and by level of schooling, where university students reported significantly more difficulty with both kinetic (p = .006) and mental imagery (p = .041) than 12th-grade students. No significant differences were observed for sport type (individual vs. collective) on any measure. The findings confirm that athletic self-image is a developmental construct strongly linked to experience. The counterintuitive results regarding schooling level suggest that factors such as metacognitive awareness or cognitive load may influence self-reported imagery ability. Overall, this study highlights the complex interplay of demographic and experiential factors on athletes’ psychological profiles and underscores the need for tailored mental skills training.