DEVELOPMENT OF ICE HOCKEY PLAYERS’ IMAGERY EXPERIENCES : A LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Sammanfattning: The development of imagery has been found in intervention studies. No previous study was found with the purpose of the development of imagery experiences without the influence of an intervention. Therefore the present paper monitored five ice hockey players’ imagery experiences during a season and examined the following objectives: a) The dynamicity and stability of the ice hockey players’ imagery patterns; b) The factors influencing the development of ice hockey players’ imagery experiences; c) Individual differences concerning the imagery experiences. A combination between qualitative and quantitative methods was used in the study. The results showed that the players experienced both stable and dynamic imagery patterns. Based on the Action theory (Nitsch, 1985), personal, environmental and performance/task factors were shown to influence the stability and dynamicity of the players’ idiosyncratic imagery experiences. The results of this study show why imagery experiences are changed and offer great implications to applied work.