The current landscape and roadmap for choking research

Abstract

It is well established that choking under pressure (simply choking), that is a decline in performance under high psychological pressure, occurs across contexts despite adequate ability, while its detailed mechanisms remain unclear. This review highlights the potential role of neuroscience in fully understanding the mechanisms behind choking. First, we organize and introduce potential mechanisms behind choking that have been proposed in the previous literature: the overarousal theory, attentional distraction theory, self-focused attention theory, and the predictive-coding modulation account, with several lines of psychological evidence supporting each theory. Second, we present several recent studies in the field of neuroscience using data from humans and nonhuman primates. Finally, we outline future directions for how neuroscience could contribute to a comprehensive understanding of choking mechanisms from five perspectives: studies using animal models; personal traits associated with choking; computational/mathematical modeling; group-level choking; and the application and validation of interventions for coping with choking.