A Conceptual Model of Children’s Active Play Imagery

ABSTRACT

Imagery research with children has been primarily examined within a structured physical activity context. However, researchers have begun to investigate children’s imagery use in their active play (i.e., unstructured leisure-time physical activity). The objective of the present article was to develop a conceptual model of active play imagery—the active play imagery model. This objective was accomplished by applying the components of the revised applied model of deliberate imagery use (RAMDIU; Cumming and Williams, 2013) to the context of active play. The proposed model comprises the same seven components included in the RAMDIU (i.e., where and when, who, why, what and how, meaning, imagery ability, and outcomes). However, in contrast to the RAMDIU, the active play imagery model acknowledges that individual characteristics can directly influence one’s ability to image. The proposed model will provide a guiding framework for future research and applications of active play imagery.

KEYWORDS:

• Imagery
• children
• play
• physical activity

Funding

This work was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Joseph-Armand Bombardier Doctoral Scholarship awarded to Michelle Guerrero.

Notes

^1. In the RAMDIU, Cumming and Williams (2013) added meaning as a bridge between imagery function and content in order to highlight the need for imagery to be personalized and meaningful to the individual. Briefly, Cumming and Williams argued that imagery is meaningful when the intended imagery function corresponds with the imagery content. This recommendation can apply to all movement domains including active play. The component of meaning will not be discussed in the current article to reduce redundancy in the literature. However, for more information on imagery and meaning, readers are directed to Cumming and Williams (2013), Ahsen (1984), and Lang (1979).

^2. An example imagery script used in Guerrero et al.’s (2015) study is provided in their original article.

^3. The original YES-S assesses youth’s positive and negative personal development experiences in sport.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.