Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part K (2025)

This study investigated sport-specific differences in mental imagery abilities among competitive female athletes. Using the Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire (SIAQ), we compared the visual, kinesthetic, and tactical imagery of 30 senior basketball and 30 senior volleyball players (aged 17-19). A one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) confirmed significant between-group differences. Basketball players demonstrated significantly greater tactical imagery ability, F(1, 58) = 18.24, p<.001, partial η² = 0.24 (large effect). Conversely, volleyball players showed significantly stronger kinesthetic imagery, F(1, 58) = 14.67, p<.001, partial η² = 0.20 (large effect). No significant difference was found for visual imagery, F(1, 58) = 0.06, p = .81. These results align with the specific cognitive demands of each sport, suggesting that basketball's fluid strategy favors tactical rehearsal, while volleyball's technical precision emphasizes kinesthetic feel. The findings advocate for sport-specific imagery training protocols to enhance athletic performance.