Choking under pressure takes place when an athlete underperforms in their sporting performance relative to their normal performance function because of a severe stressor (Worthy, Markman and Maddox, 2009). An example of a situation where choking occurs include the Olympics in 2004 in the men’s 50 m rifle event, Mathew Emmons was one successful shot away from winning a gold medal. As he fired It was a direct hit, only at incorrect target (Yu, 2015). Research has focused on two different explanations for choking. The drive theorists believe performance can be altered inadequately by an increase in the level of arousal/drive, constructed by the desire to function well under pressure. The other theory is known as the attentional theories and proposes
…show more content…
Attentional focus is moved to task-irrelevant signals, such as worries about the overall outcome (Yu, 2015). Breakdowns in the level of performance are more probable of happening in more complicated, attentionally demanding tasks that look to the working memory for the stored information regarding the action-relevant information. Working memory provides short term storage and manipulation system for information and is presumed to comprise three distinct systems; the visuospatial, the articulatory loop and the central executive. The articulatory loop is responsible for holding verbal information for temporary periods of time where as the visio-spatial sketchpad is in charge of retaining visual and spatial data. Observing the two systems is the central executive which decides the actions of the other two systems. Findings have found that worry mainly prevents the resources of the central executive, but also creates use of the articulatory loop. Tasks which materialize high demands on the central executive and articulatory loop elements of the working memory system are more likely to be adversely influenced by worry …show more content…
The start of Skill acquisition is declarative, clear encoding of understanding in which demands placed on cognitive processing are relatively strong and performance is slow, erratic and needing conscious effort (Wilson et al., 2007). The self focus theory states that it is not the lack of attention that causes choking but in fact the unnecessary excessive attention given to the task. When the performers are at a beginner’s level, they usually begin with isolated explicit education of the task that is openly controlled in a clear instructed procedure through working memory. At this time the individuals will then learn specific guidelines of which they are consciously familiar with and that they are clear to verbalize. After intentional and recurring practice, performers can refine and move explicit knowledge into implicit understanding, which is quick, automatic and managed without reference to functioning memory (Yu, 2015). For example, Beilock et al. (2002) analysed the performance of two groups, skilled and less skilled athletes in their ability of golf putting and the skill of dribbling in soccer while under two conditions. While being distracted, performers had to do an auditory tone observing task while also performing the primary task. In a skill focusing attention task state, participants were evoked to attend to a specific piece of their performance.
Attentional focus is moved to task-irrelevant signals, such as worries about the overall outcome (Yu, 2015). Breakdowns in the level of performance are more probable of happening in more complicated, attentionally demanding tasks that look to the working memory for the stored information regarding the action-relevant information. Working memory provides short term storage and manipulation system for information and is presumed to comprise three distinct systems; the visuospatial, the articulatory loop and the central executive. The articulatory loop is responsible for holding verbal information for temporary periods of time where as the visio-spatial sketchpad is in charge of retaining visual and spatial data. Observing the two systems is the central executive which decides the actions of the other two systems. Findings have found that worry mainly prevents the resources of the central executive, but also creates use of the articulatory loop. Tasks which materialize high demands on the central executive and articulatory loop elements of the working memory system are more likely to be adversely influenced by worry …show more content…
The start of Skill acquisition is declarative, clear encoding of understanding in which demands placed on cognitive processing are relatively strong and performance is slow, erratic and needing conscious effort (Wilson et al., 2007). The self focus theory states that it is not the lack of attention that causes choking but in fact the unnecessary excessive attention given to the task. When the performers are at a beginner’s level, they usually begin with isolated explicit education of the task that is openly controlled in a clear instructed procedure through working memory. At this time the individuals will then learn specific guidelines of which they are consciously familiar with and that they are clear to verbalize. After intentional and recurring practice, performers can refine and move explicit knowledge into implicit understanding, which is quick, automatic and managed without reference to functioning memory (Yu, 2015). For example, Beilock et al. (2002) analysed the performance of two groups, skilled and less skilled athletes in their ability of golf putting and the skill of dribbling in soccer while under two conditions. While being distracted, performers had to do an auditory tone observing task while also performing the primary task. In a skill focusing attention task state, participants were evoked to attend to a specific piece of their performance.