Choking under pressure: The role of fear of negative evaluation

ObjectiveConceptual models and predictors of choking under pressure (i.e., choking) have been proposed, but the role of fear of negative evaluation remains largely unknown. The purpose of the current study was to determine the degree to which fear of negative evaluation (FNE) may predispose athletes to choking.Design and method138 Experienced basketball players participated in a pre-selection stage, which involved completing a set of questionnaires that included the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation-II (BFNE-II) questionnaire. Based on the scores from the BFNE-II, 34 athletes, categorized as either low- or high-FNE, were selected to perform basketball shots from five different areas of the court under low- and high-pressure phases. Shooting performance was evaluated based on the total number of successful shots out of 50 attempts.ResultsResults indicated that the high-FNE athletes displayed a significant increase in anxiety and a significant decrease in performance from low- to high-pressure phases. The low-FNE group exhibited only minimal changes in anxiety throughout the study and was able to maintain performance under pressure. Further mediation analysis investigating significant difference in performance between FNE groups within the high-pressure phase indicated that that cognitive anxiety was a partial mediator between FNE group and performance, but somatic anxiety was not.ConclusionsFindings extend the existing choking literature by providing empirical support for the role of FNE in the context of the self-presentation model of choking.

► Self-presentation may be a reason for choking under pressure.
► Fear of negative evaluation might predispose athletes to high anxiety and choking.
► Athletes high in fear of negative evaluation experienced choking under pressure.
► Cognitive anxiety mediated the relationship between group and performance.