Root causes
Anatomy of "The Choke"
Management Strategies
100

This factor involves a person being so worried about not meeting expectations that they may freeze or "paralyze" when it is time to perform

What is Fear of Failure?

100

This part of the brain is in charge of conscious attention, planning, and decision-making

What is the Prefrontal Cortex?

100

One of the most common ways to manage stress is to change your perspective by telling yourself you are this instead of "nervous"

What is excited?

200

This type of anxiety is triggered by the daunting thought of being watched by a crowd and failing to meet their expectations

What is Perceived Judgement?

200

This brain region handles coordination and muscle memory, allowing practiced skills to run on "autopilot"

What is the Cerebellum?

200

This strategy involves mentally rehearsing your performance to help turn anxiety into a positive

What is Visualization?

300

This cause is often linked to superstitions or the belief that because a person underperformed once, it is destined to happen again

What is Past Traumatic Experience?

300

A "choke" occurs when this part of the brain interferes with automatic signals by trying to take back control during a high-pressure moment

What is the Prefrontal Cortex?

300

To prepare for real-world pressure, athletes and students should engage in this type of "game time" training

What is Realistic Practice?

400

External anxiety often rises when these three groups—parents, teachers, or friends—place high demands on an individua

Who are sources of Pressure and Expectations?

400

When the "Habit Loop of Anxiety" is triggered, this brain structure detects a threat and stimulates the fight-or-flight response

What is the Amygdala?

400

This management technique helps calm the body and is listed alongside visualization and realistic practice

What is Relaxation?

500

Performance anxiety stems from a combination of these two types of factors

What are internal and external factors?

500

These are the two primary stress hormones that flood the body when the sympathetic nervous system is activated during anxiety

What are cortisol and adrenaline?

500

In the "Game Time" experiment, these three elements were added to increase pressure on the participants

What are time, judgment (the class watching), and noise?

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