More on the Fragility of Performance: Choking Under Pressure in Mathematical Problem Solving

In 3 experiments, the authors examined mathematical problem solving performance under pressure. In Experiment 1, pressure harmed performance on only unpracticed problems with heavy working memory demands. In Experiment 2, such high-demand problems were practiced until their answers were directly ret...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of experimental psychology. General 2004-12, Vol.133 (4), p.584-600
Main Authors: Beilock, Sian L, Kulp, Catherine A, Holt, Lauren E, Carr, Thomas H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition
Cognition. Intelligence
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Mathematics
Mathematics Achievement
Mathematics Activities
Mathematics Anxiety
Mathematics Skills
Memory
Practice
Problem Solving
Psychological aspects
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Reaction Time
Reasoning. Problem solving
Short Term Memory
Stress
Surveys and Questionnaires
Test Anxiety
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Summary:In 3 experiments, the authors examined mathematical problem solving performance under pressure. In Experiment 1, pressure harmed performance on only unpracticed problems with heavy working memory demands. In Experiment 2, such high-demand problems were practiced until their answers were directly retrieved from memory. This eliminated choking under pressure. Experiment 3 dissociated practice on particular problems from practice on the solution algorithm by imposing a high-pressure test on problems practiced 1, 2, or 50 times each. Infrequently practiced high-demand problems were still performed poorly under pressure, whereas problems practiced 50 times each were not. These findings support distraction theories of choking in math, which contrasts with considerable evidence for explicit monitoring theories of choking in sensorimotor skills. This contrast suggests a skill taxonomy based on real-time control structures.
ISSN:0096-3445
1939-2222
DOI:10.1037/0096-3445.133.4.584