The Science Behind The Choke
Choking is a phenomenon that happens in sports with athletes of all ages. When an athlete chokes they perform at a level that is significantly lower than normal. This decreased level of performance tends to stay with an athlete for the remainder of the sporting event it occurs in and can even affect multiple aspects of an athlete’s game. Research has been done by psychologist to try and determine why this happens and how to prevent it. Some studies that have been done include surveys of elite athletes, interpretations of world renounced sport psychologists and experiments that implement pressure situations on athletes.
From these experiments and research it was concluded that choking happens primarily in high pressure situations. When the anxiety level that an athlete feels increases, his or her performance level tends to decrease. Stress levels tend to increase when the significance of the event increases. For example the Super Bowl is a much more significant game than the first game of the season so it is a more stressful environment. Stress level can also be increased when the athlete has an unbalanced life. When sports are the only thing a person lives for then the stress level they feel during sporting events tends to be higher.
The main conclusion behind all the studies I researched involves confidence level. When an athlete has more confidence his or her anxiety level typically does not increase as rapidly or significantly. He or she does not feel as much pressure and can stay calm in stressful situations. Most athletes choke because they think they cannot do a skill effectively enough or they cannot handle the situation they are in with poise. These thoughts create a negative psychological environment for the athlete causing stress, and unease which yields a decrease in performance. The positive confidence emotion often counteracts the negative feelings of anxiety and leaves the athlete in a balanced state of mind uninfluenced by emotion. This balanced state of mind is described as being ‘in the zone’ and is when athletes typically perform at their highest level of performance.
The first thing researchers suggest to prevent choking is to increase self-confidence. This is attainable by positive feedback and criticism and not using demonstrative tones or phrases during practice. They also suggest setting smaller, more attainable goals. By working towards smaller goals there is not near as much pressure on one’s self to succeed. Researchers propose that creating a balance between life and sport will also limit choking because there are more areas of life that an athlete has to live for.
With this information from studies done hopefully a new light is shed on coaches, athletes and spectators as to why athletes choke and what can be done to prevent it. More information on this topic can be seen on the attached research and experiments.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=44232611&site=ehost-live
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=39778106&site=ehost-live
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=55474881&site=ehost-live
From these experiments and research it was concluded that choking happens primarily in high pressure situations. When the anxiety level that an athlete feels increases, his or her performance level tends to decrease. Stress levels tend to increase when the significance of the event increases. For example the Super Bowl is a much more significant game than the first game of the season so it is a more stressful environment. Stress level can also be increased when the athlete has an unbalanced life. When sports are the only thing a person lives for then the stress level they feel during sporting events tends to be higher.
The main conclusion behind all the studies I researched involves confidence level. When an athlete has more confidence his or her anxiety level typically does not increase as rapidly or significantly. He or she does not feel as much pressure and can stay calm in stressful situations. Most athletes choke because they think they cannot do a skill effectively enough or they cannot handle the situation they are in with poise. These thoughts create a negative psychological environment for the athlete causing stress, and unease which yields a decrease in performance. The positive confidence emotion often counteracts the negative feelings of anxiety and leaves the athlete in a balanced state of mind uninfluenced by emotion. This balanced state of mind is described as being ‘in the zone’ and is when athletes typically perform at their highest level of performance.
The first thing researchers suggest to prevent choking is to increase self-confidence. This is attainable by positive feedback and criticism and not using demonstrative tones or phrases during practice. They also suggest setting smaller, more attainable goals. By working towards smaller goals there is not near as much pressure on one’s self to succeed. Researchers propose that creating a balance between life and sport will also limit choking because there are more areas of life that an athlete has to live for.
With this information from studies done hopefully a new light is shed on coaches, athletes and spectators as to why athletes choke and what can be done to prevent it. More information on this topic can be seen on the attached research and experiments.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=44232611&site=ehost-live
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=39778106&site=ehost-live
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=55474881&site=ehost-live