Why Overachievers Choke Under Pressure

Perhapsoneofthegreatestupsetsingolfhistoryhappenedinthe1966U.S.OpenwhenlegendArnoldPalmerwhowasleadingbysevenstrokeschokedinthefinalnineholes,handingtheadvantageandultimatewintoBillyCasper.



Eventhebestplayerscanhaveasubparshowingonthefield.YetwhilethesportsworldislitteredwithchokingincidentslikePalmer's,itisn'tjustathleteswhoaresusceptibletofailureincrucialsituations.Thisconditioncanafflicttopstudentswhoeasilyaceeveryexambutblowthemidterm,oraseniorvicepresidentwhospeakseloquentlyatconferencesbutflubsthecompanyseminar.



Butwhyaresomehighachieverspronetochoking?



In"Choke:WhattheSecretsoftheBrainRevealAboutGettingItRightWhenYouHaveTo"(FreePress,2010),SianBeilock,anassociateprofessorofpsychologyattheUniversityofChicago,detailshersandothers'researchshowinghowoverachieversarehighincognitivehorsepower,makingthemmorelikelytochokeinanxiety-inducingcircumstances.

Brainlimits

Thathigh-octanecognitioncomesfromtheirworkingmemory(linkedtoabrainregionhousedintheprefrontalcortex),atypeof"mentalscratchpad"thatallowsapersontoworkwithinformationheldinconsciousness,Beilockexplained.Workingmemoryinvolvesholdinginformationinmemorywhileaccomplishingtasksatthesametime.

"Theyfeelalotofpressuretosucceedbecausetheyhavehighexpectations,butalsobecausetheynormallyrelyheavilyonworkingmemorythatisreallycompromisedunderstress,"Beilocksaid.

Althoughworkingmemoryisimportantfornavigatingtoughreasoningtasks,itisnotalwaysoptimaltorelyonit.Innerve-rackingsituations,theseaccomplishedindividualsmaytrytomanageeverylittlenuancetoinsurethattheycomeoutontop;however,thismayresultinanegativeoutcome.

"Ifyouaredoingaskillthatisbetterleftonautopilot,maybehittingaputtthatwehavemadeathousandtimesinthepastorgivingaspeechthatwehavememorizedcompletely,thatkindofcontrol,tryingtodissecteverywordorstepcanreallybackfire,"BeilocktoldLiveScience.Essentiallythere’snotenoughbrainpowertogoaround,andsosomethinghastogive.

Stereotypethreat

Beilocknotesthatchokingcanalsobeattributedtostereotypethreatsorinternalizingnegativestereotypesthatcanaffectoutcomesinacademicandathleticsituations.

Forinstance,shenotedfindingslikea1995studybyStanfordUniversitypsychologistsClaudeSteeleandJoshuaAronsoninshowingsubtletasks,suchasindicatingyourraceorgenderorlistingyoursocioeconomicstatusbeforetakinganexam,cansignificantlyinfluenceone’sabilitiesonthattest.

"Smallthingscanbeareallybigthreatonsomeone'sperformance,"Beilocksaid,addingthatbybeingawareofthesestereotypesisasteptowardfiguringouthowtothwarttheireffects.

Chokingchecks

Beilockstressestheimportanceofrolemodelsforempoweringthosevulnerabletostereotypeslikeminorities,womenandyoungchildren.Inaddition,shesuggestsexercises,includingmeditation,writingdownworriesandself-affirmingqualitiestocombatstereotypes.

Theseexercisescanbepracticeddailyifthat'swhenapersonfeelsthreatened,orjustbeforekeyeventslikeexams,athleticcompetitionsandspeeches.

"Thesepositivequalitiesareenoughtotakesomeofthepressureoffofsomeofthesestereotypesthatmightweighontheirshouldersallthetime,"Beilocksaid."Yougetintothisrecursivecyclewhereif[children]canperformjustalittlebetteronce,thatgivesthemabitmoreconfidenceintheirabilitynexttimearound."

AsforthePalmertypes,herbooksuggeststechniqueslikepracticingunderconditionsthatmirrorsomeofthestressathletesfaceongameday,includingvideotapingtrainingsessionsandfocusingonstrategy(whattodo)insteadoftechnique(howtodoit)—i.e.gettinginthezone,notyourhead.

"Playing'outofone'smind,'sotospeak,islikelyoneofthereasonsthatprofessionalathletesdon’toftengivethemostinformativeinterviewsaftertheirbiggame,"shewrote."Becausetheseathletesoperateattheirbestwhentheyarenotthinkingabouteverystepofperformance,theyfinditdifficulttogetbackinsidetheirheadstoreflectonwhattheyjustdid."

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