How to stay calm under pressure - Noa Kageyama and Pen-Pen Chen

Summary

The video script delves into 'choking under pressure,' a phenomenon where individuals falter at critical moments despite extensive preparation. It explores two theories: distraction theories, attributing performance decline to competing thoughts under pressure, and explicit monitoring theories, which suggest overanalyzing can disrupt automatic skills. The script offers strategies to combat choking, such as practicing under stress, establishing pre-performance routines, and maintaining an external focus on goals, rather than internal mechanics.

Takeaways

• 🏆 'Choking' is a phenomenon where individuals fail during crucial moments despite extensive practice.
• 👥 Choking affects not only athletes but also public speakers, spelling bee contestants, and musicians.
• 🧠 Distraction theories suggest that performance suffers when the mind is preoccupied with worries, doubts, or fears, instead of focusing on the task.
• 🧐 Explicit monitoring theories propose that overanalyzing the mechanics of a skill can interfere with its execution.
• 🧠📉 Tasks that challenge working memory are especially vulnerable to the negative effects of pressure.
• 🔢 A 2004 study showed that stressed students performed worse on complex, memory-intensive math problems.
• 🏌️‍♂️ A study on golfers demonstrated that focusing on the mechanics of their putting stroke led to worse performance.
• 🤔 Some individuals are more prone to choking, particularly those who are self-conscious, anxious, and fear negative judgment.
• 💪 Practicing under stressful conditions can help reduce the likelihood of choking during high-pressure situations.
• 📝 Having a pre-performance routine can improve consistency and accuracy under pressure.
• 🎯 Focusing on the ultimate goal rather than the mechanics of the task at hand can lead to better performance.

Q & A

What is the phenomenon known as 'choking'?

Choking refers to the failure to perform well in critical moments, despite having practiced for months or years, often due to the pressure of the situation.

Why is performance anxiety common in sports and other high-pressure situations?

Performance anxiety is common in sports and other high-pressure situations because these environments often require key moments of performance under intense pressure.

What are the two sets of theories that explain choking under pressure?

The two sets of theories are distraction theories and explicit monitoring theories. Distraction theories suggest that performance suffers when the mind is preoccupied with worries, doubts, or fears. Explicit monitoring theories propose that overanalyzing the task at hand can interfere with the ability to perform it.

How does working memory play a role in choking under pressure?

Working memory, the mental 'scratch pad' we use to temporarily store information, is especially vulnerable to pressure. When it is challenged, tasks that require this memory are more likely to suffer due to the competition between relevant and irrelevant thoughts for attention.

What was the outcome of the 2004 study involving university students performing math problems under different conditions?

In the 2004 study, students who were stressed performed worse on more difficult, memory-intensive math problems compared to when they were calm and had nothing at stake.

How do explicit monitoring theories relate to the automaticity of skills and choking under pressure?

Explicit monitoring theories suggest that when a skill becomes automatic, thinking about its precise mechanics can interfere with the ability to perform it, leading to a higher likelihood of choking under pressure.

What was the finding of the study on competitive golfers regarding the focus on mechanics versus accuracy?

The study found that golfers who were made acutely aware of the mechanics of their putting stroke performed worse at making accurate shots compared to when they simply focused on putting as accurately as possible.

Who is more susceptible to choking and why?

Individuals who are self-conscious, anxious, and afraid of being judged negatively by others are more susceptible to choking, as these traits can exacerbate the effects of pressure.

What are some strategies to avoid choking under pressure?

Strategies to avoid choking include practicing under stressful conditions, having a pre-performance routine, and maintaining an external focus on the ultimate goal rather than an internal focus on the mechanics of the task.

How did the study on expert dart players demonstrate the importance of practicing under stress?

The study showed that dart players who hadn't practiced under stress performed worse when anxious compared to those who had become accustomed to pressure through such practice.

What is the significance of having an external focus on the ultimate goal during performance?

An external focus on the ultimate goal can lead to better performance under pressure, as it helps to avoid overanalyzing the mechanics of the task and instead concentrates on the desired outcome.

Outlines

00:00

🏆 The Phenomenon of Choking Under Pressure

This paragraph introduces the concept of 'choking' where individuals fail to perform well during high-pressure situations, despite extensive preparation. It highlights that this phenomenon is not limited to sports but also affects public speakers, spelling bee contestants, and musicians. The paragraph delves into two sets of theories: distraction theories, which suggest that performance suffers when the mind is preoccupied with worries and doubts, and explicit monitoring theories, which propose that overanalyzing the task at hand can interfere with automatic skills. Studies are cited to support these theories, showing that tasks requiring working memory are vulnerable to pressure and that overfocusing on the mechanics of a skill can lead to worse performance.

Keywords

💡Choking

Choking refers to the phenomenon where an individual underperforms or fails at a critical moment, despite being well-prepared. In the video, it is linked to sports and other high-pressure situations where performance is crucial. The script illustrates this with the example of a favorite athlete missing a shot at a victorious win, highlighting the impact of pressure on performance.

💡Performance Anxiety

Performance anxiety is the feeling of nervousness or apprehension that can occur before or during a performance. The video explains how this anxiety is not limited to sports but also affects public speakers, spelling bee contestants, and musicians. It is a key factor in the discussion of choking under pressure.

💡Distraction Theories

Distraction theories suggest that performance deteriorates when the mind is occupied with irrelevant thoughts instead of focusing on the task. The video uses these theories to explain how worries, doubts, or fears can detract from performance, especially during tasks that challenge working memory.

💡Working Memory

Working memory is described as the mental 'scratch pad' we use to temporarily store information such as phone numbers or grocery lists. The video emphasizes its vulnerability under pressure, as it can only process a limited amount of information at once, making it susceptible to the effects of choking.

💡Explicit Monitoring Theories

Explicit monitoring theories propose that overanalyzing a task can lead to choking under pressure. The video explains how once a skill becomes automatic, conscious thought about its mechanics can interfere with performance. This is illustrated with the example of golfers who perform worse when they focus on the mechanics of their putting stroke.

💡Automaticity

Automaticity refers to the state where a skill is performed without conscious thought. The video discusses how tasks that are usually done unconsciously are more prone to choking when attention is drawn to their precise mechanics, as in the case of golfers focusing on their putting stroke.

💡Self-Consciousness

Self-consciousness is the state of being acutely aware of oneself and one's actions. The video suggests that individuals who are self-conscious, anxious, and afraid of negative judgment are more susceptible to choking. It is a personality trait that can influence how pressure affects performance.

💡Practice Under Stress

Practice under stress is a method to prepare for high-pressure situations by simulating them during training. The video cites a study on dart players, showing that those who practiced under stress performed better when anxious, indicating the importance of this approach in avoiding choking.

💡Pre-Performance Routine

A pre-performance routine is a set of actions or rituals that performers engage in before starting their performance. The video discusses the benefits of such routines, such as deep breathing or repeating a cue word, in leading to more consistent and accurate performance under pressure.

💡External Focus

External focus refers to concentrating on the outcome or goal of a task rather than the internal mechanics of the performance. The video presents research showing that golfers who focus on the flight of the ball perform better than those focusing on their arm motion, emphasizing the effectiveness of an external focus in avoiding choking.

💡Internal Focus

Internal focus is the concentration on the mechanics or internal processes of a task. The video contrasts this with an external focus, explaining that an internal focus can lead to overthinking and hinder performance, as seen in the example of golfers focusing on their arm motion.

Highlights

Choking under pressure is a common phenomenon in sports and other high-stakes situations.

Distraction theories suggest that performance suffers when the mind is preoccupied with worries, doubts, or fears.

Tasks that challenge working memory are especially vulnerable to the effects of pressure.

Explicit monitoring theories propose that overanalyzing a task can interfere with automatic performance.

A 2004 study found that stressed students performed worse on memory-intensive math problems.

Golfers who focused on the mechanics of their putting stroke performed worse than those who focused on accuracy.

Some individuals are more susceptible to choking due to self-consciousness, anxiety, and fear of judgment.

Practicing under stressful conditions can help reduce the likelihood of choking during high-pressure situations.

A pre-performance routine can improve consistency and accuracy under pressure.

Having an external focus on the ultimate goal is more effective than an internal focus on mechanics.

A study on experienced golfers showed that focusing on the flight of the ball improved performance.

Performance anxiety is not limited to sports but also affects public speakers, spelling bee contestants, and musicians.

The brain can only process a limited amount of information, making it difficult to handle irrelevant thoughts during high-pressure tasks.

Research indicates that susceptibility to choking can be reduced through practice and mental strategies.

The phenomenon of choking is not inevitable and can be mitigated with the right approach.

An age-old saying can be modified to emphasize the importance of practice, focus, and having the end goal in sight for achieving perfection.

Transcripts

Your favorite athlete closes in for a victorious win.

The crowd holds its breath,

and, at the crucial moment, she misses the shot.

That competitor just experienced the phenomenon known as "choking,"

where despite months, even years, of practice,

a person fails right when it matters most.

Choking is common in sports,

where performance often occurs under intense pressure

and depends on key moments.

And yet, performance anxiety also haunts public speakers,

contestants in spelling bees,

and even world-famous musicians.

Most people intuitively blame it on their nerves,

but why does being nervous undermine expert performance?

There are two sets of theories,

which both say that primarily, choking under pressure boils down to focus.

First, there are the distraction theories.

These suggest that performance suffers when the mind is preoccupied

with worries, doubts, or fears,

instead of focusing its attention on performing the task at hand.

When relevant and irrelevant thoughts compete for the same attention,

something has to give.

The brain can only process so much information at once.

Tasks that challenge working memory,

the mental “scratch pad” we use

to temporarily store phone numbers and grocery lists,

are especially vulnerable to pressure.

In a 2004 study, a group of university students

were asked to perform math problems,

some easy, others more complex and memory-intensive.

Half the students completed both problem types with nothing at stake,

while the others completed them when calm and under pressure.

While everyone did well on the easy problems,

those who were stressed performed worse

on the more difficult, memory-intensive tasks.

Explicit monitoring theories make up the second group of explanations

for choking under pressure.

They’re concerned with how pressure

can cause people to overanalyze the task at hand.

Here, the logic goes that once a skill becomes automatic,

thinking about its precise mechanics interferes with your ability to do it.

Tasks we do unconsciously seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of choking.

A study on competitive golfers compared their performance

when instructed to simply focus on putting as accurately as possible,

versus when they were primed to be acutely aware

of the mechanics of their putting stroke.

Golfers usually perform this action subconsciously,

so those who suddenly tuned in to the precise details of their own moves

also became worse at making accurate shots.

Choking may not be inevitable for everyone though.

Research suggests that some are more susceptible than others,

especially those who are self-conscious,

anxious,

and afraid of being judged negatively by others.

So, how can we avoid choking when it really counts?

First, it helps to practice under stressful conditions.

In a study on expert dart players,

researchers found that those who hadn’t practiced under stress

performed worse when anxious,

compared to those who had become accustomed to pressure.

Secondly, many performers extol the virtues of a pre-performance routine,

whether it’s taking a few deep breaths,

repeating a cue word,

or doing a rhythmic sequence of movements.

Studies on golfing, bowling, and water polo

find that short rituals can lead to more consistent

and accurate performance under pressure.

And thirdly, researchers have shown

that having an external focus on the ultimate goal

works better than an internal focus,

where someone is tuned into the mechanics of what they’re doing.

A study of experienced golfers revealed that those who hit chip shots

while focused on the flight of the ball

performed significantly better than those who focused on the motion of their arms.

So, perhaps we can modify that age-old saying:

practice,

under pressure,

with focus,

and with that glorious end goal in sight,

makes perfect.