COGNITIVE AND MOTIVATIONAL SPECIFIC IMAGERY AS A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR BOOSTING TRAIT SPORTS CONFIDENCE AMONG VARSITY CRICKET ATHLETES

Abstract

In the South Asian regional context, Cricket has emerged as one of the most popular sports. Its popularity has reached to such an extent that nearly every other child is now selecting cricket as his future profession or primary sport. Despite this, no previous research has been undertaken on how varsity cricket players use imagery during matches. Hence, the main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive and motivation-specific imagery and trait sports confidence among varsity cricket athletes. A total of 162 athletes (108 males and 54 females), aged between 18 and 25 years, completed the questionnaire. It comprised of three sections including demographic information, the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ), and the Trait Sports Confidence Inventory (TSCI). The results of a hierarchical regression study demonstrated that cognitive and motivational specific imagery were associated positively with trait sports confidence among varsity cricket players. Whereas, gender alone showed a lesser predictive influence on trait sports confidence among varsity cricketers. Additionally, the independent samples t-tests further demonstrated that male cricketers scored significantly higher than female cricketers across all imagery dimensions and trait sports confidence. In conclusion, the study showed that having a clear mental picture is very important for building confidence in cricket sports and stressed the need for organized mental skills programs. These would help female players improve their ability to visualize and help them perform better.