Coach Michael Torres believes that visualization techniques improve athletic performance. He has athletes mentally rehearse perfect execution before competition, claiming this mental practice activates similar neural pathways as physical practice.
Which finding would most support Torres's belief about visualization?
All Olympic athletes report feeling nervous before competition
Athletes who practiced visualization in addition to physical training improved 12% more than those who only did physical training
Athletes who visualize spend less time in physical practice
Team sports require more coordination than individual sports
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the best answer. Controlled comparison shows adding visualization produces measurable improvement.
- Context clues: Torres claims visualization improves performance.
- Evidence evaluation: 12% improvement proves the added benefit.
- Verify: Same physical training + visualization = better results isolates the effect.
💡 Strategy: Additive studies (X vs X+Y) isolate the effect of Y.
Choice A is incorrect because nervousness is universal and unrelated to visualization. Choice C is incorrect because less physical practice could hurt performance. Choice D is incorrect because sport types are irrelevant to visualization effects.