Comparing the effectiveness of mental imagery and actual execution of the technique (Osotogari, Ogoshi and Tai Otoshi) on the perceived stress of female judokas

Stress is a major factor that influences the performance of judo players. To control stress, coaches and psychologists use psychological interventions. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of mental imagery and actual techniques (Osotogari, Ogoshi, and Tai Otoshi) on the perceived stress of female judokas. The research is a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the study is female judokas in Tabriz who were participating in judo in the years 2022-2023. A total of 45 judo players from the Ganjovian Club were selected using the available sampling method and randomly divided into three groups. The members of both experimental groups received their intervention in eight half-hour sessions, while the control group did not receive any training. The results of the research indicate that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental groups. This means that both interventions are effective in reducing the perceived stress of female judo players, but the effect of neither intervention method is greater than the other. Based on the study's results, it seems that mental imagery and the actual implementation of these techniques are effective in reducing the perceived stress of judo players.