Chronometry of Mental Imagery among Skilled and Unskilled Swimmers

The purpose of this study was the chronometry of mental imagery types among skilled and unskilled swimmers. It was a quasi-experimental with a two-group time-series design. The participants included 30 male swimmers who were selected using simple random sampling. The error in time estimation of 100-meter front crawl imagery was measured. Data were analyzed using factorial repeated measure analysis of variance in 95% confidence level. Results showed that skilled swimmers encountered overestimation in the timing of imagery, whereas unskilled swimmers encountered underestimation. The skilled group compared to unskilled counterparts had higher accuracy in their imagery. Both skilled and unskilled groups spent similar time for internal and external visual imagery, but the duration of kinesthetic imagery was higher than visual imagery. According to the results, the need for controlling of timing error in mental imagery interventions for optimizing of swimmers’ performance remains debated.