What is the psychological state underlying “clutch performance” – excelling under pressure?

This study relied on athletes self-reporting their thoughts, feelings and strategies employed under pressure during a competition several days after the event. Although steps were taken within this study to improve accuracy, such as follow-up interviews, there are still obvious limitations with this approach including self-reporting biases and the limitations of memory. Most people need to perform under pressure at some stage in their life, be it in public speaking, academic exams, or working closely to a deadline. How much can these new findings be applied to these settings? The researchers urge a bit of caution, as this is still somewhat unknown. They stress that for now it is “important to avoid a ‘one size fits all’ approach to expert performance. There may be some underlying principles that can be transferred, but knowing which ones will probably rely on knowledge of both the task at hand and the person who has to execute the skill. The mysteries of performance excellence under pressure in non-sporting domain promises to be an exciting area for psychologists to continue to research over the coming years. —Performing under pressure: Exploring the psychological state underlying clutch performance in sport Image: Jonny Wilkinson of England kicks the winning drop-goal against Australia in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final at the Telstra Stadium on November 22nd 2003 in Sydney, Australia (Photo by Tom Jenkins/Getty Images). An image from the book ‘In The Momen...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: guest blogger Sport Source Type: blogs