Uncovering the Psychological and Physiological Factors that Influence Performance and Choking Under Pressure

Abstract

Research suggests that there are more complex psychophysiological influences occurring when an athlete chokes under competitive pressure (Hill et al., 2010; Mesagno et al., 2015). Although the main choking under pressure theories have been researched independently for decades, both Hill et al. (2010) and Lewis and Linder (1997) suggested that these theories are no longer mutually exclusive, with the potential to converge providing insight into the same psychological and physiological factors that influence performance and choking under pressure. Therefore, this dissertation examines the psychological and physiological factors that influence performance and choking under pressure for those who are susceptible to choking, while also exploring different contexts for performers under pressure. This dissertation also investigates how sport psychology interventions such as a pre-performance routine, that integrate breathing, muscle relaxation, attention and self-talk, could help to improve the psychological and physiological factors that influence performance and choking under pressure. In conclusion, all three studies provide insight into the psychological and physiological factors that influences performance and choking under pressure. In particular, the results from study 1 suggested that athletes who are choking susceptible have a lower working memory capacity, and self-confidence, as well as higher cognitive and somatic anxiety than those athletes who are non-choking susceptible. In study 2 results provided insight into how pressure is experienced by athlete and non-athlete performers, and how pressure may be experienced differently between performance contexts. The results from study 3 demonstrated that learning to use a pre-performance routine at the proper time during competition, could help to improve factors contributing to performance under pressure and ideally could help to alleviate a choke.