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Choking Under Pressure

Choking Under Pressure. Michael Hoerger. Choking Under Pressure. Performing worse than expected on an important task Examples: Missed golf putt or free throw Bombing an exam Mind going blank. Types of Tasks. Physical vs. Cognitive tasks Controlled vs. Automatic

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Choking Under Pressure

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  1. Choking Under Pressure Michael Hoerger

  2. Choking Under Pressure • Performing worse than expected on an important task • Examples: • Missed golf putt or free throw • Bombing an exam • Mind going blank

  3. Types of Tasks • Physical vs. Cognitive tasks • Controlled vs. Automatic • Controlled: require attention • Automatic: do not require attention, speedy

  4. Automatic Physical Tasks • Professional sports, experienced driving, sex, speaking, playing guitar • Through practice, physical tasks become well-learned and automatic • Self-consciousness (embarrassment, shame, anxiety) disrupts automatic processing  choking

  5. Avoiding Choking: Automatic Tasks • In advance: • Practice under high-pressure conditions • In the moment: • Distraction from self-consciousness • Speed it up • Use a routine to facilitate engagement in automatic processing

  6. Controlled Physical Tasks • Learning to drive, conducting surgery, learning to play video games, learning to ballroom dance • Performing novel physical tasks requires controlled attention • Distractions hog cognitive resources needed for attention  choking

  7. Controlled Cognitive Tasks • ACTs, exams, spelling bees, giving a speech • Performing complex cognitive tasks requires controlled attention • Distractions hog cognitive resources needed for attention  choking

  8. Avoiding Choking: Controlled Tasks • In advance • Overlearn: Practice, practice, practice • Practice under high pressure condition • In the moment: • Anything to reduce anxiety: breathing or muscle relaxation, challenge beliefs that are causing pressure

  9. Stereotype Threat • Stereotypes: yuppie, feminist, liberal, White male • Performance pressure created when success or failure would support a stereotype • Can affect any group, but historically most stereotypes have been against females and minorities

  10. A Threat in the Air • 2,800 women and minorities fail to get calculus AP credit each year due to stereotype threat • Leads to disidentification and avoidance to maintain self-esteem • Public policy against stereotypes is key

  11. Michael Hoerger To cite this lecture: • Hoerger, M. (2007, March 26). Choking Under Pressure, Skilled Performance, and Stereotype Threat. Presented at a PSY 220 lecture at Central Michigan University.

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