Why Do Athletes Choke Under Pressure?

Beilock, Sian L.; Gray, Robert C.

doi:10.1002/9781118270011.ch19

Cited by 185 publications

(191 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Therefore, Beilock and Gray (2007) concluded that there is compelling evidence that in the perceptual-motor domain choking is caused by explicit monitoring or conscious control of the execution of the skill. Nonetheless, in the studies in question, attentional focus was always experimentally manipulated (see also Hill et al, 2010).…”

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confidence: 99%

Thoughts and attention of athletes under pressure: skill-focus or performance worries?

Oudejans

Kuijpers

Kooijman

et al. 2011

Anxiety, Stress & Coping

112

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Thoughts and attention of athletes under pressure: skill-focus or performance worries?

Oudejans

Kuijpers

Kooijman

et al. 2011

Anxiety, Stress & Coping

112

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“…Yet, it remains unclear whether this definition is suitable, as the choke differs from a substandard performance (Gucciardi, Longbottom, Jackson, & Dimmock, 2010;Hill, Hanton, Matthews, & Fleming, 2010b) and appears to be initiated by the athlete's negative interpretation of their anxiety, rather than its elevated levels per se (Gucciardi et al, 2010;Otton, 2009). As such, the definition of choking presented by Hill et al (2009) may provide currently the most fitting framework for researchers and practitioners to work within.Despite on-going debate regarding the definition, it is agreed that choking is the result of attentional disturbances caused by self-focus and/or 'distraction' (see Beilock & Gray, 2007). Self-focus theories suggest that choking occurs as a result of the athlete consciously processing and/or monitoring their well-learned task when they perform under pressure.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Or that endured by Jana Novotna, whose performance in the 1993 Wimbledon final deteriorated to such an extent that she became, "unrecognisable… [as] an elite tennis player" (Gladwell, 2000, p. 84). However, despite its prevalence and detrimental impact on performance, choking has been subjected to limited research attention until recently (see Beilock & Gray, 2007). Hill, Hanton, Fleming, and Matthews (2009) define choking as, "a process whereby the individual perceives their resources are insufficient to meet the demands of the situation, and concludes with a significant drop in performance -a choke" (p. 206).…”

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confidence: 99%

Alleviation of Choking Under Pressure in Elite Golf: An Action Research Study

Hill

Hanton

Matthews

et al. 2011

The Sport Psychologist

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The study examined the effect of an evidence-based intervention on choking in golf. It is informed by the work of Hill, Hanton, Matthews and Fleming (2010a) that explored the experiences of elite golfers who either choked or excelled under pressure. The perceptions of elite golf coaches who worked with both 'chokers' and those who excelled, were also considered. It revealed that choking may be alleviated through the use of process goals, cognitive restructuring, imagery, simulated training and a pre/postshot routine. The present study incorporated each strategy into an intervention that was introduced to two professional golfers (aged 22) who choked under pressure regularly. Through an action research framework the impact of the intervention was evaluated over a ten month period via qualitative methods. The results indicated the intervention alleviated the participants' choking episodes and so provides information that can be of use to practitioners working with golfers who choke.Choking in sport is a term used to describe an acute performance breakdown (Clark, Tofler, & Lardon, 2005), such as that experienced by Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters golf event, when he inextricably lost by five shots despite leading the final round by six. Or that endured by Jana Novotna, whose performance in the 1993 Wimbledon final deteriorated to such an extent that she became, "unrecognisable… [as] an elite tennis player" (Gladwell, 2000, p. 84). However, despite its prevalence and detrimental impact on performance, choking has been subjected to limited research attention until recently (see Beilock & Gray, 2007). Hill, Hanton, Fleming, and Matthews (2009) define choking as, "a process whereby the individual perceives their resources are insufficient to meet the demands of the situation, and concludes with a significant drop in performance -a choke" (p. 206). However, Mesagno and Mullane-Grant (2010) proposed an alternative definition that they claim provides a more appropriate foundation for future choking research. It states that choking is a, "critical deterioration in skill execution, leading to substandard performance that is caused by an elevation in anxiety levels under perceived pressure, at a time when successful outcome is normally attainable by the athlete" (p. 343). Yet, it remains unclear whether this definition is suitable, as the choke differs from a substandard performance (Gucciardi, Longbottom, Jackson, & Dimmock, 2010;Hill, Hanton, Matthews, & Fleming, 2010b) and appears to be initiated by the athlete's negative interpretation of their anxiety, rather than its elevated levels per se (Gucciardi et al., 2010;Otton, 2009). As such, the definition of choking presented by Hill et al. (2009) may provide currently the most fitting framework for researchers and practitioners to work within.Despite on-going debate regarding the definition, it is agreed that choking is the result of attentional disturbances caused by self-focus and/or 'distraction' (see Beilock & Gray, 2007). Self-focus theories suggest that choking occ...

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“…Atletas que apresentam níveis de ansiedade fora da zona ótima, muito elevada ou muito baixa, tendem a perder a concentração mais facilmente (BEILOCK;GRAY, 2007). Outro fator é a cegueira por desatenção, que é provocada pela atenção seletiva, que suprime detalhes que podem não ser relevantes para o momento, em favor dos que o são (SIMONS; CHABRIS, 1999).…”

Section: Desvio Na Atenção Em Velejadoresunclassified