Theory of Distraction
There are the theories of distraction initially these imply that when the mind is distracted with anxieties, performance diminishes, when relevant and irrelevant thoughts fight for the same attention, the brain may doubt or worry rather than concentrating on completing the job at hand. The brain can only handle so much information at once, making mental scratchpad tasks that test working memory necessary. Grocery lists and the temporary storage of phone numbers are particularly susceptible to pressure. In a research conducted in 2004, university students were given a variety of arithmetic tasks to solve, some of which were simple while others required extensive memory use. While others finished them under pressure and with calmness. Everyone scored well on the simple tests, but those who were under stress did worse on the more challenging, memory-intensive ones.Explicit monitoring theories
The second set of reasons for choking under pressure focus on explicit monitoring theories, which address how stress might lead people to overanalyze the work at hand. According to this reasoning, once a skill is natural, thinking about its exact mechanics interferes with your ability to perform it. A research on competitive golf AFER's found that actions we perform instinctively tend to be more sensitive to this sort of choking. Compared their performance between being primed to be highly aware of the mechanics of their putting stroke and when they were told to merely focus on putting as precisely as possible. Golfers often carry out this motion instinctively, therefore individuals who suddenly became aware of the specifics of their own movements also suffered from their ability to hit accurate shots. However, not everyone will necessarily choke. How can we prevent choking when it matters most? According to research, certain people are more vulnerable than others, particularly those who are worried, self-conscious and frightened of being harshly assessed by others.
First, practicing in tense situations is beneficial. In a study on professional dart players, researchers discovered that individuals who hadn't prepared under pressure fared worse under anxiety than those who did. Second, a pre-performance ritual is praised by many artists. Take a few deep breaths, repeat a cue phrase or do a set of rhythmic motions. Short rituals can help athletes perform more consistently and accurately under pressure, according to research on golf, bowling and water polo. Third, studies have found that an outward focus on the end aim is more effective than an interior concentration. Where someone is aware of the details of their actions. In a survey of seasoned golfers, it was discovered that those who hit chip shots while concentrating on the ball's trajectory outperformed those who concentrated on the movement of their arms. So perhaps we can adapt the proverb "practice makes perfect for a nail-biting" to mean "practice under pressure with focus and with that magnificent end goal in sight."
