Cognitive strategies of university athletes

Thirty-six college basketball players and skiers, both men and women, were interviewed about their use of cognitive processes to prepare themselves for competition. The interviews examined cognitive techniques for enhancing motor skills and developing competitive strategies. During the interviews the subjects engaged in some of their cognitive preparation strategies and then described the details of these experiences. All athletes reported that the use of cognitive strategies enhanced their performance. Their imagery was rich, detailed, and multisensory. An average of three sensory modalities were present in the imagery. Vision, kinesthesis, and touch were the most common sensory experiences reported, but audition, taste, and smell were also experienced by some athletes. Strong affective states, especially confidence and satisfaction, accompanied the imagery. Individual differences in the imagery used by the athletes were also found and may be related to individual differences in the athletes' cognitive styles.