The Causes of Choking

In the first game of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals. 18 seconds to go with the New York Knicks up by 6 against the Indiana Pacers. With no hope for the Pacers, until the acclaimed Knick Killer, Reggie Miller, splashed two clutch three-point shots, leaving everyone in the arena on the edge of their seats and biting their nails. Following multiple missed shots by panicking Knicks players and a foul, the Pacers would eventually have a chance to end it all at the line. The man of the hour, Reggie Miller, performed the infamous choking gesture, taunting the Knicks for fumbling such a lead. With the game on the line, Reggie miller sunk both shots, winning the Pacers Game 1. The miraculous comeback story still sparks the common question of “How can a team choke that bad?”. 

Choking is referred to as the failure of a person, or persons to succeed as expected. In the case mentioned, the Knicks were considered to choke as they were expected to be victorious. Although Reggie Miller and Pacers fans may not care to wonder why the Knicks choked, it is beneficial to investigate the causes for such a matter. These causes include: abrupt judgment from outsiders makes it easy to neglect the causes of choking within athletes, which include negative emotions, previous failures, and the outside feelings of others. 

An experiment with 138 experienced basketball players conducted by C. Mesango and others, supports the huge contribution that the fear of negative evaluation makes in the process of choking. Within this study, researchers examined how basketball players’ fear of negative evaluation affects their performance. To start the experiment, each participant completed a Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation-II (BFNE-II) questionnaire. From there, players took a total of 50 shots from 5 different spots under low and high-pressure conditions. The results of this study showed that those who experienced high Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) had increased anxiety and decreased performance in high-pressure conditions. Those who experienced low-FNE had little to no difference when it came to high-pressure conditions. Thus showing the role that negative emotions play in a player’s inadequate performance.

Furthermore, this same phenomenon is apparent in a context not involving sports. For example, there is always that one person who considers themselves a “bad test taker”. No matter how much they prepare, when it comes to the moment to answer the questions on the exam, they blank. More likely than not it is the fear of negative evaluation that stimulates one to underperform in a situation like that. 

Research by Tim W. Fawcett and Rufus A. Johnstone proves that previous failures can lead to meager performances during high-pressure situations. The study explored the effects that normal civilians’ past experiences have on their future performance in physical conflict, by developing a conflict. Through doing this multiple conclusions were reached. For starters, it was found that individuals naive to fighting tend to be highly aggressive. This until they experience two consecutive losses making them submissive, and a third loss making them want to refrain from the escalation of any conflict. On the other hand, naive individuals who win any of their first three fights develop greater willpower to sustain defeat before becoming submissive. Moreover, winning and losing fights modulates individuals’ aggression levels, as their confidence in conflict is based on their previous experiences.

These conclusive findings support the notion of the “winner and loser effect”, which essentially describes the increased probability of winning or losing due to the previous outcome. Take a player like Joakim Noah. At the line, down by 1 with 2 shots and the game’s outcome in his hands. Being pinned as one of the worst free-throw shooters of all time, the constant failure at the line is typical. Therefore, with him taking those two shots and missing them, the loser effect is depicted. This is because his previous failures in free throw shooting played a role in the result of the most recent one. Thus, the same is apparent in a good free-throw shooter who is just having a bad game. Furthermore, being that they are not performing as well, as usual, the negative past plays can reduce their confidence when shooting at the line leading to a missed shot.

Evidence supports the fact that the crowd can lead to decreased athletic performance. In addition, a study was done involving a European Football team. Furthermore, it examined the crowd over 4 consecutive seasons, more specifically the crowd’s support and density. Upon completion, it was concluded that the presence of a big and backing crowd is of great importance for home-field advantage. Although this data is in support of the crowd enhancing one’s performance, it is still conclusive, as the same could apply to a crowd that is small and unsupportive. For example, in an intense game, the crowd may be booing and chanting nasty remarks to diminish the performance of a rival player. Thus, potentially allowing the rival player to slip up and make a mistake.

Choking in an intense situation is something that is not only prominent in sports but overall daily life. We all choke in intense situations when there is a presence of unenthusiastic feelings, our lousy past instances, and external viewpoints. For example, on my driver’s test, I was considered a “choke” as I forgot to shift the car into park after parallel parking. This was due to my crippling fear of failure, which ultimately distracted me from an important detail that I had performed many times prior. Since I knew the cause of this silly and careless mistake, I was able to combat it and perform well enough to get my license the next time. This is why it is vital we examine things like choking in all aspects and develop strategies to combat it, thus allowing for a smoother and more enjoyable life.

References

Mesagno, C., Harvey, J. T., & Janelle, C. M. (2012). Choking under pressure: The role of fear of negative evaluation. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 13(1), 60-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.07.007

Fawcett, T. W., & Johnstone, R. A. (2010). Learning your own strength: winner and loser effects should change with age and experience. Proceedings. Biological sciences, 277(1686), 1427–1434. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.2088