2. Choking & Pressure Flashcards
1
Q
Choking: Dr. Beilock
A
- performing more poorly than expected given one’s skill level
- not just poor performance
- physiological arousal and cognitive anxiety may accompany choking
2
Q
Choking: (furthered) Researchers
A
Gropel & Mesagno
3
Q
Choking: Gropel & Mesagno Definition
A
- Interpreted under stressful situations
- existent skill and high motivation
- strive to perform well
- high self-expectations
- perceived pressure (can be external i.e. social influences)
//
Goal: seek out optimal performance which differs individually for each performance
4
Q
Choking Theories: Distraction
A
- when skills rely on working memory (knowledge of that skill) to store information
- dual-task interference makes it harder to process (multiple things to attend to at once)
- can be from external influences
///
[lecture notes:]
- Distraction: skills rely on working memory (a skill that you can further develop but have an established baseline) to store information
- tenet: dual-task interference: something besides task going on that makes it harder to process
— research has indicated that if someone is distracted, performance is not at best
— most often, secondary element is from external environment (but can also be internal, like not feeling well)
5
Q
Choking Theories: Explicit Monitoring
A
- “automatic” skills
- athletes overthinking the movements
- movements are then disjointed and stiff
- internal, cognitive issue (mental roadblock, not a physical limitation)
6
Q
Choking: Task Characteristics
A
- connection to Motor Learning and Behavior
// - Task Characteristics = depends on the complexity
— complex skills can be broken down into smaller steps
— with explicit monitoring, each step slows down
// - Become proceduralized with practice
— novices already have to go step by step
— experts are more fluid, then it becomes problematic if they attend to each step
// - Motor tasks may be more susceptible than cognitive tasks
— example: alphabet is cognitive
7
Q
Choking: What can you do
A
- Interventions matched to type of anxiety will be more effective
1. high somatic anxiety
techniques for reducing physiological tension, increase relaxation:
— progressive muscle relaxation
— biofeedback
2. high cognitive anxiety
ways to handle negative thoughts and cognitions:
— cognitive restructuring
— self-talk
8
Q
Choking: Theories for How it Occurs
A
- Distraction
- Self-Focus / Explicit Monitoring
9
Q
Choking: Distraction Theory
A
- Pressure creates a distracting environment that shifts attentional focus to task-irrelevant cues
> > more relevant for tasks that rely on working memory
10
Q
Choking: Self-Focus/Explicit Monitoring Theory
A
- Pressure raises self-consciousness and anxiety about performing correctly, which increases attention paid to skill execution and attempts to control it
> > most relevant for tasks that rely on procedural memory
11
Q
Choking Theories
A
Not necessarily mutually exclusive
12
Q
Choking: Gropel & Mesagno Article Systematic Review
A
- distraction model
- pre performance routine: relaxing, imagery, cue words, external focus, temporal consistency
// - self focus model
- quiet eye training
- left hand contractions
// - acclimatization
- change relationship with pressure and not effect of pressure
» self-consciousness training, anxiety training
// - analogy/implicit learning - inconsistent
// - dual task - good for pressure, bad for practice
- why? our human nature is to take in our environment and then make a decision (biologically, fight or flight) here we’re making decision to attend to task at hand, but for pressure, get exposed to making those sort of decisions
13
Q
Choking: Gropel & Mesagno; Pressure Manipulation
A
- Increase anxiety
- competition includes pressure situation
- outcomes are of focus
- threat to athlete identity
14
Q
Pressure: Overview
A
- cognitive & physical feelings associated with pressure
- includes anticipation
— having a sense of what’s coming allows for executive response
— allows an athlete to maintain sense of control in advance
ex) can position your body for what’s to come
15
Q
Pressure: Construct Definition
A
- feeling of constraint, burden of physical or mental distress
- pressure can effect performance, performance can effect pressure,
