Enhancing athlete performance under pressure: the role of attribution training in mitigating choking
IntroductionChoking in athletes describes a marked reduction in their skill level, falling below the normal level, when under stress. This paradoxical performance decline, which athletes strenuously to avoid yet frequently encounter, was the focus of this study. We implemented training interventions...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1435374/full |
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| author | Dan Huang Dan Huang Huilin Wang Yiwei Tang Hanyue Lei Denise Koh |
| author_facet | Dan Huang Dan Huang Huilin Wang Yiwei Tang Hanyue Lei Denise Koh |
| author_sort | Dan Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionChoking in athletes describes a marked reduction in their skill level, falling below the normal level, when under stress. This paradoxical performance decline, which athletes strenuously to avoid yet frequently encounter, was the focus of this study. We implemented training interventions on athletes who had experienced choking to assess their impact on fear of failure and self-criticism. Correct or improve the subjects’ inappropriate attribution of failure results, and enable them to learn to use appropriate and positive attribution, enhance motivation levels, and thus achieve the purpose of improving behavior and performance levels.MethodsThe snowball sampling technique was used to collect data through the combination of online electronic questionnaires and offline paper questionnaires, so as to explore the choking phenomenon of elite athletes by attributing the influence of training variables on self-efficacy. The research team conducted a survey of elite athletes in Central China between October and December 2023. In this study, 350 questionnaires were distributed, 350 questionnaires were collected after the questionnaires were distributed, and 328 valid questionnaires were finally eliminated through screening. And the relevant statistical analysis is carried out on the data.ResultsThe results confirmed the significant correlations between attribution training and fear of failure (β = −0.548, p < 0.001), attribution training and self-criticism (β = −0.531, p < 0.001), fear of failure and self-efficacy (β = −0.240, p < 0.001), and self-criticism and self-efficacy (β = −0.408, p < 0.001). Finally, the correlation between fear of failure and self-criticism (β = −0.211, p < 0.01) was validated.ConclusionAthletes who underwent attribution training showed significant reductions in fear of failure and self-criticism, thereby decreasing their negative emotions, enhancing their positive emotions, and improving their self-efficacy during sports performance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a611bc54e9e94ccfb8dc932ad0c4d61e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-a611bc54e9e94ccfb8dc932ad0c4d61e2025-02-07T06:49:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-02-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.14353741435374Enhancing athlete performance under pressure: the role of attribution training in mitigating chokingDan Huang0Dan Huang1Huilin Wang2Yiwei Tang3Hanyue Lei4Denise Koh5Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaSchool of Physical Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, ChinaSchool of Business, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, ChinaSchool of Physical Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, ChinaSchool of Physical Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, ChinaFaculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaIntroductionChoking in athletes describes a marked reduction in their skill level, falling below the normal level, when under stress. This paradoxical performance decline, which athletes strenuously to avoid yet frequently encounter, was the focus of this study. We implemented training interventions on athletes who had experienced choking to assess their impact on fear of failure and self-criticism. Correct or improve the subjects’ inappropriate attribution of failure results, and enable them to learn to use appropriate and positive attribution, enhance motivation levels, and thus achieve the purpose of improving behavior and performance levels.MethodsThe snowball sampling technique was used to collect data through the combination of online electronic questionnaires and offline paper questionnaires, so as to explore the choking phenomenon of elite athletes by attributing the influence of training variables on self-efficacy. The research team conducted a survey of elite athletes in Central China between October and December 2023. In this study, 350 questionnaires were distributed, 350 questionnaires were collected after the questionnaires were distributed, and 328 valid questionnaires were finally eliminated through screening. And the relevant statistical analysis is carried out on the data.ResultsThe results confirmed the significant correlations between attribution training and fear of failure (β = −0.548, p < 0.001), attribution training and self-criticism (β = −0.531, p < 0.001), fear of failure and self-efficacy (β = −0.240, p < 0.001), and self-criticism and self-efficacy (β = −0.408, p < 0.001). Finally, the correlation between fear of failure and self-criticism (β = −0.211, p < 0.01) was validated.ConclusionAthletes who underwent attribution training showed significant reductions in fear of failure and self-criticism, thereby decreasing their negative emotions, enhancing their positive emotions, and improving their self-efficacy during sports performance.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1435374/fullchokingattribution trainingself-efficacyfear of failureself-criticism |
| spellingShingle | Dan Huang Dan Huang Huilin Wang Yiwei Tang Hanyue Lei Denise Koh Enhancing athlete performance under pressure: the role of attribution training in mitigating choking Frontiers in Psychology choking attribution training self-efficacy fear of failure self-criticism |
| title | Enhancing athlete performance under pressure: the role of attribution training in mitigating choking |
| title_full | Enhancing athlete performance under pressure: the role of attribution training in mitigating choking |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing athlete performance under pressure: the role of attribution training in mitigating choking |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing athlete performance under pressure: the role of attribution training in mitigating choking |
| title_short | Enhancing athlete performance under pressure: the role of attribution training in mitigating choking |
| title_sort | enhancing athlete performance under pressure the role of attribution training in mitigating choking |
| topic | choking attribution training self-efficacy fear of failure self-criticism |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1435374/full |
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