WHY WE CHOKE
WHAT THE SCIENCE SAYS ABOUT CHOKING UNDER PRESSURE Writer / Dr. Dave Schroerlucke Photography Provided
Most of us are familiar with the experience of choking under pressure - that is, giving a subpar performance in a one-shot-only scenario such as an important competition, examination or job interview. Choking on a big stage is a dreadful experience that every athlete or performer hopes to avoid. Of course, understanding why choking occurs is a critical first step toward prevention.
published a comprehensive review in 1986 of the prior research on what they called “paradoxical performance effects” - that is, performing poorly when there are incentives to perform well. Despite more than three decades of empirical research, both in the lab and on the field, social and psychological scientists have yet to produce a consensus theory of choking.
Instead, three competing theoretical models have emerged - the skillfocus model, the distraction model and the self-presentation model. The scientific study of the choking phenomenon really began in This article provides a broad overview and comparison of these earnest in the late 1980s, after Roy Baumeister and Carolin Showers attempts at providing a scientific explanation of why people choke. 30 / MARCH 2021
