Wang, Jin, Marchant, Daryl and Morris, Tony (2004) Coping style and susceptibility to choking. Journal of sport behavior, 27 (1). pp. 75-92. ISSN 0162-7341

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between coping styles and choking susceptibility, Eighty-eight basketball players filled out the Coping Style Inventor, for Athletes approximately one week prior to participating in an experiment. The experiment task consisted of participants taking basketball free throws in a low-pressure (LP) condition and a high-pressure (HP) condition, in the LP condition, participants completed 20 shots with only a research assistant present for scoring purposes. In the HP condition, participants again took 20 shots, however, pressure manipulations were used comprising of, an audience, videotaping, and monetary incentives. Participants also completed the modified Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 prior to both the LP and HP conditions. Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses supported the hypothesis that approach coping style would be significantly related to choking, but avoidance coping style would not be related to choking. The findings also supported the hypothesis that an approach coping style would be positively related to intensity of cognitive state anxiety, and would be negatively related to an avoidance coping style in the HP condition. In addition, there was a significant relationship between an avoidance coping style and positive facilitative interpretation of state anxiety. The negative relationship between approach coping style and performance outcome may be attributed to the likely inhibition of automatic execution caused by conscious attempts to control the performance process under pressure.

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