Measuring the Content of Dancers’ Images: Development of the Dance Imagery Questionnaire (DIQ)

Mental imagery is the creation or re-creation of experiences in the mind and it is a common, yet under-researched area in dance. Indeed, although sport and exercise researchers have imagery measurement tools designed for their respective settings, no such tool has existed for dance. Having a valid and reliable questionnaire can produce information to form the basis for successful interventions to enhance both performance and well-being. Thus, the aim of this series of three studies was to create a questionnaire capable of assessing the frequency with which dancers image, entitled the Dance Imagery Questionnaire (DIQ). Studies 1 and 2 are primarily concerned with measurement development, while Study 3 also presents data that may be of more applied interest. A total of 1,068 female and male dancers from 25 dance forms and six experience levels (beginner to professional) participated in three cross-sectional questionnaire-based studies. There were 501 dancers in Study 1 (aged 23.26 ± 10.25 years), 317 dancers in Study 2 (aged 21.96 ± 6.63 years), and 250 dancers in Study 3 (aged 23.82 ± 9.16 years). Study 1 employed principal components analyses to determine that the DIQ consisted of 3 components: technique, mastery and goals, and role and movement quality. It was apparent that the mastery and goals component could also potentially split into two, producing a four-component solution. In Study 2, DIQ data were subjected to confirmatory factor analyses, from which a hierarchical solution emerged, with one higher-order factor and four second-order factors. The third study re-confirmed the hierarchical structure of the DIQ with a separate sample, and established the test-retest reliability of the questionnaire. Concurrent validity information is also provided concerning the relationships between dance imagery, imagery ability, self-confidence, and anxiety.