ABSTRACT
In cognitive psychology, the term mental imagery refers to a "multimodal" cognitive simulation process that enables us to represent perceptual information in our minds in the absence of actual sensory input. This chapter investigates what mental imagery is, how it can be studied, and its types, modalities and dimensions. It analyses the brain mechanisms underlying motor imagery. The chapter then focuses on mental practice (MP) in sport and reviews the main findings, theories and issues in this field. It examines the measurement of mental imagery skills in sport, and describes what researchers have learned about the ways in which athletes use mental imagery in various athletic situations. The chapter then sketches some new directions for research on imagery in athletes, with a special emphasis on the growing topic of motor imagery. Finally, it provides a few ideas for possible research projects in this field.
