Choking

Researchers, spectators and performers alike are often intrigued, and sometimes shocked, if motivated people perform dramatically worse than usual in important, high-pressure situations. This can happen not only in sports but in almost any domain in which people are specifically motivated to do well, be it music, surgery, academic examinations, or even a driving test.

Choking Under Pressure

We have all heard the term choking under pressure before. In the sports arena we talk about the bricks in basketball when the game-winning free throw is missed. In academic domains, we refer to cracking in important test taking situations. But what exactly do these terms mean and why do less-than-optimal performances occur—especially when incentives