Imagery Ability Check (IAC)

Abstract

The Imagery Ability Check (IAC) is a specialized, self-report psychological instrument designed to assess an individual’s perceived competence and facility in using mental imagery specifically for the purpose of physical healing and injury recovery. Developed primarily within the context of Sport Psychology and athletic rehabilitation, the scale consists of nine items utilizing a 7-point Likert response format. The IAC evaluates various dimensions of imagery use, including the vividness, clarity, controllability, and therapeutic application of mental images related to the injury and the subsequent healing process.

The scale serves as a practical tool for researchers and clinicians to gauge an athlete’s preparedness and skill level in employing this cognitive technique, which is crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of imagery interventions during rehabilitation. High scores on the IAC indicate a strong perceived ability to generate and manipulate healing imagery, suggesting a greater likelihood of successful psychological engagement in the recovery protocol.

Keywords

Imagery, Athletic Injury, Rehabilitation, Psychological Skills, Healing Imagery, Mental Practice, Sport Psychology, Visualization, Psychological Assessment, Self-Efficacy

Authors

Joel Cressman, Kimberley A. Dawson

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Imagery Ability Check (IAC) is to quantify the self-reported capability of individuals, particularly athletes, to execute effective and beneficial mental imagery techniques related to the recovery from physical injury. This tool is designed to move beyond general assessments of imagery skills by focusing specifically on the application of imagery for therapeutic goals, such as visualizing tissue repair, increased blood flow, and functional return to activity.

The scale helps practitioners identify athletes who possess strong inherent imagery abilities, potentially allowing for tailored rehabilitation programs that leverage these psychological skills. Conversely, low scores may signal a need for targeted imagery training or alternative psychological strategies to support the recovery process.

Construct

The IAC measures the construct of Healing Imagery Self-Efficacy and Ability. This construct encompasses the individual’s confidence in their ability to generate clear, vivid, and controllable mental images that are directly relevant to the physiological processes of healing following an athletic injury. The items specifically target the clarity of the visual representation of the injury, the capacity to control the imagery for therapeutic benefit, and the ability to internally visualize complex physiological changes, such as tissue regeneration or increased blood circulation.

The scale thus assesses not just the general capacity for mental imagery, but the specific perceived competence in using imagery as an active, therapeutic tool during rehabilitation. This focus differentiates it from broader measures of motor or cognitive imagery, grounding the scale firmly in the domain of applied sport and exercise psychology.

Validity

The development of the IAC, as detailed in the foundational thesis and subsequent publication, suggests efforts to establish initial validity, particularly Content Validity. The items were formulated to directly reflect the core components of healing imagery interventions commonly employed in sport rehabilitation settings, ensuring the scale measures what it intends to measure: the ability to execute the specific tasks outlined in therapeutic imagery scripts.

Further studies, often involving correlations with rehabilitation outcomes or comparisons against established measures of imagery vividness and control (Criterion Validity), would typically be used to confirm the scale’s robustness. Researchers employing the IAC should consult the 2011 journal article by Cressman and Dawson for detailed psychometric validation data, including correlations with self-efficacy measures and functional outcomes following injury.

Reliability

Reliability of the Imagery Ability Check typically focuses on internal consistency, indicating the degree to which all nine items measure the same underlying construct. As a relatively new scale derived from doctoral research, the initial studies by the authors would have established the required level of internal consistency, generally measured using Cronbach’s alpha. A high Cronbach’s alpha value would suggest that the items are consistently assessing the perceived ability to utilize healing imagery.

In addition to internal consistency, Test-Retest Reliability would confirm the stability of the athlete’s self-reported imagery ability over time, assuming no intervention or significant change in skill level has occurred between administrations. Practitioners should rely on the published literature to confirm the stability and consistency metrics reported by Cressman and Dawson (2011).

Factor Analysis

While the IAC is a concise, nine-item instrument often treated as a unidimensional scale measuring overall perceived healing imagery ability, formal factor analysis is essential for confirming its underlying structure. Initial exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis (EFA or CFA) conducted by the scale developers would determine if the nine items load onto a single factor (confirming unidimensionality) or if they separate into distinct sub-factors, such as ‘Clarity and Vividness’ versus ‘Control and Application’.

The specific items, which address both the sensory quality of the image (vividness, clarity) and the functional application (control, feeling the healing), suggest a potential two-factor structure, though the scale is most commonly cited for its overall score related to therapeutic imagery competence. Consultation of the primary academic sources is necessary to determine the empirically supported factor structure.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire / Psychological Assessment Scale

Format: Nine items rated on a 7-point Likert scale.

Language Available: Primarily English (as developed in a North American academic context).

Population Group: Athletes or individuals undergoing physical rehabilitation from injury.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically competitive athletes).

Population Details: Specifically designed for populations engaged in therapeutic imagery interventions following an athletic injury, where the ability to visualize internal healing processes is crucial.

Test Methodology: The respondent rates their ability for each statement on a scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 7 (extremely well). The total score is typically calculated by summing the responses across all nine items, yielding a possible range of 9 to 63.

Keywords

Sport Psychology, Visualization, Rehabilitation Outcome, Self-Efficacy, Psychological Assessment, Mental Skills Training, Injury Recovery, Cognitive Techniques, Athletic Performance

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence should generally be directed to the Department of Kinesiology or Sport Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University, where the primary research was conducted.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Imagery Ability Check (IAC) was developed around 2010 (thesis completion) and formally published in 2011. Permissions for use, particularly in commercial or large-scale research settings, should be sought directly from the authors (Joel Cressman and Kimberley A. Dawson) or the Journal of Imagery Research in Sport and Physical Activity, which holds the copyright for the published version.

No fee information is specified, but academic use often requires only citation of the original source.

Reference’s

The following references document the development and application of the Imagery Ability Check (IAC):

• Cressman, Joel. (2010). “Evaluation of the Use of Healing Imagery in Athletic Injury Rehabilitation.” Wilfrid Laurier University. Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). Paper 996. The original PDF thesis containing the instrument can be downloaded here: http://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1995&context=etd
• Cressman, Joel M., & Dawson, Kimberley A. (2011). Evaluation of the Use of Healing Imagery in Athletic Injury Rehabilitation. Journal of Imagery Research in Sport and Physical Activity, 6(1), doi.org/10.2202/1932-0191.1060.

Items of the Imagery Ability Check (IAC)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

• I am able to clearly cr‎eate the images that are outlined on the script
• I am able to vividly produce images that are similar to reality
• I am able to image exactly what I am supposed to image
• I am able to control the images that I cr‎eate to benefit the healing process
• I am able to cr‎eate a clear visual representation of the injury
• I am able to feel the injury healing while I am applying imagery
• I am able to image the injury healing internally (e.g.‚ the tissue coming together as a strong band)
• I am to image the physiological processes accompanied with the injury healing (e.g.‚ increased blood flow to the injured area)
• I am able to picture myself as healthy and fully mobile

Response Scale: 1 (not at all) to 7 (extremely well)