Perform Under Pressure: Key Factors Revealed
New Study Identifies Top 10 Factors for High-Pressure Performance
Key Takeaways:
The top three factors that contribute to high-pressure performance are attention, performance monitoring, and arousal, all of which require self-awareness.
Self-awareness, including the ability to evaluate one's cognitive and emotional states, traits, and abilities, is a fundamental requirement for almost all of the factors considered essential for high-pressure performance.
Performing Under Pressure
How can we optimize our performance in high-pressure situations?
A recent study has provided valuable insights by identifying the key factors underlying high-pressure performance.
Key Factors
The x-axis lists the most critical factors for high-pressure performance in order of their importance.
The top three factors are attention, performance monitoring, and arousal.
Now, let's take a closer look at each of these factors.
#1 — Attention
Attention refers to a group of mental processes that help us control and focus on information around us. This includes being aware of things, making sense of what we see, and deciding how to react.
A golfer's ability to focus on the present moment despite external factors like crowds or internal factors like thoughts about the future outcome is an excellent example of how our attention is vital in performing well under pressure.
This reinforces the notion that "Attention is the currency of performance," a concept highlighted by Dr. Peter Haberl in a recent interview.
#2 — Performance Monitoring
Performance monitoring refers to the ability to evaluate performance in real-time and make appropriate adjustments to our actions accordingly.
For example, the ability of a golfer to notice how weather conditions are impacting the ball and make appropriate adjustments during the round requires performance monitoring.
#3 — Arousal
Arousal is a state of physiological and psychological alertness and sensitivity to internal and external stimuli. It varies along a continuum from low (relaxation) to high (heightened sensitivity). It can be triggered by stimuli in the environment and internal stimuli, such as emotions.
A golfer's mental and physical state, including their heart rate, body tension, and thoughts, can be affected by changes in their arousal level on the golf course. Being aware of these changes and using tools like resonance frequency breathing to modify arousal is essential for performing well under pressure.
Common Denominator of High-Pressure Performance
What do these top three factors for high-pressure performance have in common?
All three of these factors require self-awareness.
Attention: Being aware of where your attention is focused allows you to control and direct it appropriately, ensuring that you focus on what is most important in high-pressure situations.
Performance Monitoring: Not being aware of your performance in high-pressure situations can cause you to miss important task-relevant internal and external information, such as body tension and weather conditions. This lack of awareness can prevent you from making the necessary adjustments to succeed.
Arousal: Awareness of your arousal level is the prerequisite to selecting the appropriate tools to manage it and maintain optimal performance.
Self-knowledge, similar to the concept of self-awareness, was ranked 7th out of 30+ factors in the study.
The researchers defined self-knowledge as:
The ability to make judgments about one's current cognitive or emotional internal states, traits, and/or abilities.
Put simply, a golfer's ability to accurately evaluate their physical and mental state while on the golf course.
The importance of self-awareness cannot be emphasized enough, as it is a fundamental requirement for almost all of the other nine factors considered essential for high-pressure performance.
Other Key Constructs
If you are interested in learning more about the other constructs, the authors have provided a document that contains definitions for each. You can download the document below.
Conclusion
To sum up, the study reveals that attention, performance monitoring, and arousal are the key factors for high-pressure performance, all of which rely on self-awareness. With a focus on developing self-awareness and using tools to manage these factors, individuals can improve their performance in high-pressure situations.
As the authors note, the ability to perform well under pressure can be beneficial in many areas of life, from sports to everyday challenges.
…the ability to perform optimally under pressure of benefit to everyone, from an athlete competing in the Olympics to a parent dealing with a child’s asthma attack.