We choke under pressure because such conditions thwart the normal brain processing of tasks that are so well learned they have become "automatic."
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In Brief
- We choke under pressure because such conditions thwart the normal brain processing of tasks that are so well learned they have become “automatic.”
- Trying to concentrate on monitoring the quality of your performance is counterproductive because the cerebellum, which controls complex motor tasks, is not consciously accessible.
- Ratcheting up the pressure at your practice sessions is the best way to avoid failing when it counts.
You’ve practiced your big presentation a thousand times. Your last rehearsal was perfect, and you’re ready to go. You tell yourself that for the real thing, you will focus on keeping your voice up, smiling, and enunciating clearly and slowly. Suddenly, at the podium, you freeze—all your preparation is for naught as you stand there like a deer in headlights. What happened?
and we all have had the experience. But why do we sometimes, without warning, inexplicably screw up just when it matters most? The answer lies in the way our brains are structured. When we have practiced something so well that we no longer need to think about it, subconscious processing systems are at work. When we then slow down to focus on these “automated” actions, we can thwart those processes, tripping ourselves up. And a raft of recent research is revealing who drops the ball and when, yielding surprising insights that could help frequent flubbers leave their self-sabotaging tendencies behind.
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9 Comments
Add Commentvery good article
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI connot wait for more
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI've experienced this phenomenon - I had solved a problem regarding a differential equation. I knew the solution well. When I attempted to illustrate the solution on the chalkboard to the class I got lost and over-whelmed by the chalkboard and encountered brain lock. I then attempted to illustrate to the class on paper with everyone surrounding me - again brain-lock - I remember very well that I viewed myself un-able to summon the correct pattern of events that led to the solution. Almost like I was outside of myself. - When I sat down alone I was able to deduce the solution with ease.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisvery useful
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think it's interesting that even the title focuses on the negative here: i.e. "Avoid Choking" rather than "Perform Under Pressure." As a mental skills consultant with athletes, musicians and other performers, I'd recommend starting from a more positive perspective.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOverall, though the article has a lot of interesting quotes and people that know what they are talking about. I particularly enjoyed the part of the discussion about the neurological differences between conscious and unconscious movements. Interesting.
I'd also like to say that the part of the article discouraging people from "taking their time" was a little dodgy. In my experience, taking one's time can often be helpful, as a deep breath can allow the mind and especially the body to relax. The important difference which I think the article doesn't take into account is that that time can be used proactively to focus on key words like "smooth" or "powerful." Using these phrases with a relaxed body is likely to be more successful than an over-hyped one.
Cheers,
Mason Astley
www.aperformancecoach.com
Excellent article. On my blog I discuss this issue and have three articles that hit it from slightly different aspects. The first, http://www.poolstudent.com/blog/2009/01/19/review-inner-game/ is a review of the book "The Inner Game of Tennis" by W. Timothy Galwey. This 30 year old classic discusses the cerebral cortex vs the cerebellum battle, though scientifically.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe second, http://www.poolstudent.com/blog/2008/12/15/quiet-eye-improves-shot-making/ summarizes research done at the University of Florida by Robert Singer, then chairman of the University of Floridas Department of Exercise and Sports Sciences, and former graduate student Shane Frehlich. Expert shooters (pool and rifle) were able to quiet their brains (verified with EEGs) for several seconds before firing.
Lastly, in http://www.poolstudent.com/blog/11/14/play-pool-17-percent-better/ a study in the Journal of Sports Sciences established that pro basketball players who had a rigid pre-shot routine were 17% more accurate foul shooters than those who did not. The rigid pre-shot routine is believed to accentuate the shift to cerebellum control and away from conscious cerebral control.
Fro a number of years now we have been developing and working with a technology that allows athletes (from any sport) to reproduce the exact action and function they perform in competition, under loads and at speeds that replicate on field performances. By combining this with heightened noise levels during training the elevation in proprioception is producing excellent results in competition and time taken for completion of tasks reduces dramatically. Its clear that if you get athletes training functionally and under higher time / noise stress levels they can translate that into superior performance on the field. Chris Toal
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a golf teaching professional I often have to tell people to let go of so much conscious thought. While most of the things people have going on upstairs is very complicated and unnessary I look forward to now telling them to not to let their "cerebral cortex trip over their cerebellum."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI find such research very interesting and can't seem to get enough of it. I wrote a book a few years back about how to practice properly. Golfers always get consumed in the mechanical aspects of the game and rarely practice what the game is truly about (pressure, awkward lies, only getting one chance, etc.). To practice golf you must practice under pressure and simulate what you will encounter on the course. Similar to how other sports practice my book is about scrimmaging. It's a compilation of practice games that make practice more realistic. Anyway thanks Elizabeth for the article - I enjoyed it.
Trent Wearner
www.TrentWearnerGolf.com
Excellent, great help for people engaged on any type of competition. This throws some light to questions I had on this matter.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThank you.