A systematic review of ironic effects of motor task performance under pressure: The past 25 years

Ironic processes of concentration and suppression under pressure: A study on rifle shooting in Norwegian elite biathletes

“…The implications of ironic errors have been the subject of meta-analytic studies in several domains of psychology, including reviews conducted on clinical and non-clinical populations. [12][13][14] Similarly, the potential consequences of ironic errors in sporting tasks were highlighted in the systematic review, 15 which established a link between cognitive load-induced negative instructions and ironic errors.…”

“…1.2 | "Don't miss!" Motor performance ironies The evidence from the systematic review 15 offered critical insights into advancing the understanding regarding the phenomenon of ironic performance errors, encompassing the cognitive, verbal, and behavioral domains. A central aspect of the investigation of Wegner's theory in sports is the concept of instruction, specifically negative or negatively self-generated instructions, given by the coaches or athletes themselves in the verbal domain.…”

“…20 Considering Wegner's theory, approaches to interrupt the occurrence of ironic errors have been suggested in mainstream psychology. 8,21,22 In the sports domain, Janelle 11 offered recommendations based on an in-depth analysis of the literature in the field of sport psychology, whereas Bartura and colleagues 15 suggested ways to reduce the prevalence of ironic performance errors. While Janelle's 11 and Bartura et al's 15 propositions continue to hold relevance, research focus on applied sport psychology has shifted to investigating theory-matched strategies for reducing the likelihood of paradoxical performance breakdowns.…”

“…8,21,22 In the sports domain, Janelle 11 offered recommendations based on an in-depth analysis of the literature in the field of sport psychology, whereas Bartura and colleagues 15 suggested ways to reduce the prevalence of ironic performance errors. While Janelle's 11 and Bartura et al's 15 propositions continue to hold relevance, research focus on applied sport psychology has shifted to investigating theory-matched strategies for reducing the likelihood of paradoxical performance breakdowns. 23 Over the past two decades, however, challenges have arisen concerning the potential strategies to minimize the occurrence of ironic performance errors.…”

“…The application of Wegner's theory in the context of sport performance has encountered notable limitations. 15 To begin, given the importance attributed to the use of negative instructions in investigating ironic motor processes, two notable drawbacks must be recognized and addressed. First, no clear method has been developed for using negative instruction, despite its pivotal role in triggering ironic processes.…”