Choking under pressure: theoretical models and interventions
Section snippets
Explanatory choking models
Choking only occurs when there is an increase in anxiety under pressure [1••]. Since anxiety is essential to existing choking explanations, empirical research has either focused on the antecedents or consequences of the heightened state anxiety. Researchers have predominantly investigated attention-based explanations (i.e., self-focus and distraction models), where choking occurs because the athlete alters (voluntarily or involuntarily) task-appropriate focus as a consequence of the anxiety
Choking interventions
Understanding choking models cannot prevent choking, but it may help researchers and sport psychologists develop theory-driven interventions to minimize choking. Theory-driven interventions are techniques developed based on the choking model in which it is matched. Mesagno et al. [11•] argued that researchers should develop theory-matched (or driven) choking interventions especially for the supported self-focus and distraction choking models.
Future research
Researchers have struggled with a global definition of choking since Baumeister [5] defined it as performance decrements under pressure. We believe focusing on performance as a defining element may be one of the problems because performance is determined by a number of factors beyond the control of the actor (e.g., other competitors’ ability), which may intensify the use of the choking label. When performance is the only indicator of choking, then incorrect labelling of a choking incident could
Conflict of interest statement
Nothing declared.
References and recommended reading
Papers of particular interest, published within the period of review, have been highlighted as:
• of special interest
•• of outstanding interest
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