A Field Study on the Effects of Active and Passive Image-Rehearsals on Observational Learning of Breast Stroke Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this field study was to examine the effects of active and passive image-rehearsals in terms of film modeling on both performing and imaging the skill of breast stroke, from the view points of Bandura's modeling theory and neurophysiological account of functions of image rehearsal. Twenty-eight male undergraduates acted as subjects and participated in one week swimming training (two hours a day). They were randomly divided into two groups, active image-rehearsal group (AIRG) and passive image-rehearsal group (PIRG) on the basis of their performance of swimming distance on the first training day, while fifteen male subjects were randomly selected as control group (CONG) for image tests mentioned later. AIRG and PIRG subjects received different treatments for 3 min. after film modeling from the second day. AIRG subjects were instructed to rehearse in terms of imagining themselves performing the breast stroke, while PIRG subjects were instructed to rehearse in terms of imagining themselves seeing the film model. Dependant variables were the scores of three tests (as to vividness, controllability and swimming image tests) concerning imagery of the breast stroke administered twice for all the subjects and the performance of the breast stroke skill measured twice for AIRG and PIRG subjects in regard to swimming distance and form, on the first (pre-test) and seventh (post-test) training day. As the results, it was revealed that the scores of vividness and controllability tests for AIRG and PIRG subjects significantly increased but not for CONG subjects, while the mean scores of both tests for AIRG subjects were significantly greater than those for PIRG subjects in the post-test session. Concerning the breast stroke skills, the performance of the swimming distance and form for AIRG and PIRG subjects significantly increased, but no significant differences of distance and form between two groups were detected in the pre and post-test sessions. The results of case analysis, however, indicated that, in the post-test session, the performance of swimming distance for AIRG subjects tended to be greater than that for PIRG subjects. These findings seem to suggest that active image-rehearsal in terms of film modeling will facilitate observational learning of motor skills more effectively than passive image-rehearsal in terms of film modeling.