AN ANALYSIS OF SENSORY COMPONENTS IN MENTAL IMAGERY AMONG MALE AND FEMALE SHOOTING ATHLETES

dimensions: visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory, tactual, and organic sensations. A sample of 60 shooters (30 males and 30 females) aged 14-20, from various schools and academies, was assessed using a mental imagery questionnaire created by Prof. M. Rajamanickam. Results showed significant differences between genders in several sensory dimensions. For visual sensation, the mean score was 68.4 for males and 49.33 for females, with a t-value of 2.1, indicating significance at the 0.05 level. In auditory sensation, males had a mean of 50.13, while females had 65.6 (t = 2.49, p < 0.05). Tactual sensation scores were 68.76 for males and 53.2 for females (t = 2.32, p < 0.05), while organic sensation scores were 57.26 for males and 71 for females (t = 4.78, p < 0.05). Gustatory and olfactory sensations, with t values of 0.2 and 0.3 respectively, showed no significant differences between genders. These findings highlight the role of mental imagery in enhancing focus, confidence, and performance, with implications for training in competitive sports. Future research is recommended to extend this study across different age groups, levels of competition, and sports such as air rifle and archery to better understand the psychological factors affecting athletic performance.