This infographic shows imagery as recreating sport experience in the mind using multiple senses. It links imagery to brain activation and performance improvement, which supports the IB focus on imagery as a multisensory psychological skill. Source

Purposes of imagery

· Imagery can be used for a cognitive or motivational purpose.
· Cognitive imagery focuses on skills, techniques, routines, movement patterns, and tactics/strategies.
· Motivational imagery focuses on confidence, effort, goal achievement, emotional control, and arousal regulation.
· Imagery can also be specific or general:
· Specific = exact skill, outcome, or goal, e.g. imagining a penalty kick or winning a race.
· General = broader routines, strategies, emotions, or mindset, e.g. imagining staying calm under pressure.
· Strong exam answers should link the purpose of imagery to the athlete’s need, e.g. skill learning, tactical rehearsal, confidence, relaxation, or psyching up.

This diagram connects imagery functions to outcomes such as skill learning, strategy execution, motivation, arousal regulation, confidence, and focus. It is useful for revising how cognitive and motivational imagery differ in sport psychology. Source

Paivio’s imagery framework

· Paivio’s imagery framework helps decide the appropriate function of imagery for a performer.
· It classifies imagery by two dimensions: purpose and level.
· Purpose:
· Cognitive = improves skill performance or strategy use.
· Motivational = improves goals, confidence, arousal, or emotional control.
· Level:
· Specific = focused on a particular skill, movement, or goal outcome.
· General = focused on broader plans, routines, arousal states, or mastery feelings.
· Common applied categories:
· Cognitive specific (CS) = mentally rehearsing a specific skill, e.g. a tennis serve.
· Cognitive general (CG) = mentally rehearsing strategy, routines, or game plans.
· Motivational specific (MS) = imagining goal achievement, e.g. winning or receiving a medal.
· Motivational general-arousal (MG-A) = regulating stress, anxiety, or activation level.
· Motivational general-mastery (MG-M) = imagining confidence, coping, focus, and control under pressure.

PETTLEP model

· PETTLEP = Physical, Environment, Task, Timing, Learning, Emotion, Perspective.
· The model is used to create the most functionally equivalent image possible, meaning imagery should closely match the real performance situation.
· Physical = adopt realistic body position, equipment, clothing, and movement sensations.
· Environment = imagine or practise in the actual setting, or recreate it with sounds, images, or venue cues.
· Task = imagery must match the exact skill, tactic, intensity, and attentional demands of the task.
· Timing = imagery should occur in real time where possible, matching the pace of the actual movement or routine.
· Learning = imagery should change as the performer improves; beginners and experts should not use identical imagery scripts.
· Emotion = include realistic feelings, such as excitement, anxiety, calmness, confidence, or pressure.
· Perspective = use internal perspective through the athlete’s own eyes and/or external perspective as if watching oneself perform.

This table clearly explains how to make imagery more realistic and performance-specific. It supports exam answers that require application of each PETTLEP component to a sport scenario. Source

Applying PETTLEP in sport examples

· Penalty kick: wear boots, stand on a pitch, imagine the goalkeeper, rehearse the run-up in real time, feel pressure, and picture the chosen shot from an internal perspective.
· Gymnastics routine: use competition clothing, imagine apparatus and judging environment, rehearse each movement in sequence, match real routine timing, and include nerves/confidence.
· Sprint start: adopt block-start body position, imagine track noise, focus on reaction to the gun, rehearse explosive timing, and feel muscle tension before acceleration.
· Rehabilitation or injury return: imagery may help maintain confidence and rehearse correct technique when full physical practice is limited.
· To reach top marks, always connect the imagery method to a performance outcome, such as improved skill execution, strategy use, confidence, focus, or arousal regulation.

Imagery and arousal regulation

· Imagery can support psychological control by helping athletes manage stress, anxiety, and arousal.
· Relaxation imagery can lower perceived tension and help athletes calm down before performance.
· Psych-up imagery can increase activation when an athlete is under-aroused or needs intensity.
· Imagery links to heart rate regulation because emotional imagery can influence physiological arousal.
· Strong evaluation point: imagery effectiveness depends on the athlete’s imagery ability, vividness, control, practice frequency, and the specific situation.

Exam application tips

· Define imagery precisely as multisensory mental rehearsal in the absence of actual perception.
· Distinguish clearly between cognitive vs motivational and specific vs general imagery.
· Use PETTLEP when asked how to make imagery realistic, effective, or sport-specific.
· Use Paivio’s framework when asked to classify the function or purpose of imagery.
· Always apply to a named sport skill and explain the likely effect on performance, learning, confidence, arousal, or focus.