The Use of Imagery by Athletes during Injury Rehabilitation

Abstract

Objectives:To determine whether athletes use motivational and cognitive imagery during injury rehabilitation and to develop an instrument for measuring imagery use.Design:A survey concerning imagery use during rehabilitation was administered to injured athletes.Setting:The Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic in London, Ontario, Canada.Participants:Injured athletes (N = 71) receiving physiotherapy.Main Outcome Measure:The Athletic Injury Imagery Questionnaire (AIIQ).Results:As hypothesized, 2 distinct factors emerged from the items on the AIIQ: motivational and cognitive imagery. Motivational imagery was used more often than cognitive imagery in this context, yet less frequently than in other sport situations (eg, training and competition).Conclusions:The study indicates that the AIIQ is a potentially useful tool through which physiotherapists and sport psychologists can examine athletes' use of imagery in injury rehabilitation.