你最爱的运动员即将迎来制胜⼀击， 观众们屏住呼吸， 但在这重要时刻，她失误了。
That competitor just experienced the phenomenon known as "choking," where despite months, even years, of practice, a person fails right when it matters most. Choking is common in sports, where performance often occurs under intense pressure and depends on key moments. And yet, performance anxiety also haunts public speakers, contestants in spelling bees, and even world-famous musicians. Most people intuitively blame it on their nerves, but why does being nervous undermine expert performance?
这位选⼿刚经历了“反胜为败”现象， 纵使进⾏了经年累⽉的练习， ⼈们仍会在关键时刻失败。 “反胜为败”在运动界 是⼀种普遍现象， 因为运动员的表现都在压⼒下进⾏， 并且会受到⽐赛节点的影响。但这种焦虑也会影响演讲者， 拼字游戏中的选⼿们， 以及世界著名的⾳乐家。 绝⼤多数⼈凭直觉 将其归咎于精神紧张， 但为何紧张的情绪 会影响专业⼈⼠的表现呢？
There are two sets of theories, which both say that primarily, choking under pressure boils down to focus.
两组理论对此进⾏了解释。 ⼆者都认为压⼒下的“反胜为败” 归根结底是注意⼒问题。
First, there are the distraction theories. These suggest that performance suffers when the mind is preoccupied with worries, doubts, or fears, instead of focusing its attention on performing the task at hand. When relevant and irrelevant thoughts compete for the same attention, something has to give. The brain can only process so much information at once.
第⼀种理论是⼲扰理论。 该理论认为当担忧、疑惑和恐惧 占据了⼈们的头脑， 让⼈们⽆法集中注意⼒ 在⼿头的任务，其表现就会受到影响。 当与任务相关和 ⽆关的信息争夺注意⼒时， 其中⼀⽅不得不做出让步。 ⼤脑能够同时处理的信息量有限。
Tasks that challenge working memory, the mental “scratch pad” we use to temporarily store phone numbers and grocery lists, are especially vulnerable to pressure. In a 2004 study, a group of university students were asked to perform math problems, some easy, others more complex and memory-intensive. Half the students completed both problem types with nothing at stake, while the others completed them when calm and under pressure. While everyone did well on the easy problems, those who were stressed performed worse on the more difficult, memory intensive tasks.
⼯作记忆是我们头脑中的“速写板”， 我们⽤它短暂存储 电话号码和购物清单等。 对于⾼度要求⼯作记忆的任务来说， 压⼒对其影响尤为严重。 在 2004 年的⼀项研究中， ⼀组⼤学⽣被要求解答数学问题， ⼀ 些题⽬简单，另⼀些 则⾮常困难，且需要⼤量记忆。 ⼀半学⽣在没有任何顾忌的 情况下解答全部题⽬， 另⼀半学⽣分别在 冷静状态和压⼒状态下完成题⽬。 尽管所有⼈在简单问题上表现良好， 但对于更困难且需要记忆的题⽬来说， 经受压⼒的学⽣表现更差。
Explicit monitoring theories make up the second group of explanations for choking under pressure. They’re concerned with how pressure can cause people to overanalyze the task at hand. Here, the logic goes that once a skill becomes automatic, thinking about its precise mechanics interferes with your ability to do it.
第⼆套解释该现象的理论是 外部控制理论。 这⼀理论是关于 压⼒如何使⼈们 过度分析当前的任务。 这种说法的逻辑在于， ⼀旦某种技能成为下意识的熟练技能， 思考其精确的原理机制 就会妨碍使⽤该技能。
Tasks we do unconsciously seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of choking. A study on competitive golfers compared their performance when instructed to simply focus on putting as accurately as possible, versus when they were primed to be acutely aware of the mechanics of their putting stroke. Golfers usually perform this action subconsciously, so those who suddenly tuned in to the precise details of their own moves also became worse at making accurate shots.
需要下意识完成的任务 最容易出现“反胜为败”。 ⼀项研究对⽐了⾼尔夫选⼿的表现， ⼀组选⼿只需要关注准确挥杆， 另⼀组则被要求时刻想着 挥杆动作是否符合标准原理。 ⾼尔夫选⼿通常 依靠潜意识完成动作， 因此在选⼿突然要 调整动作达到标准时， 他们反⽽更难打出准确⼀击。
Choking may not be inevitable for everyone though. Research suggests that some are more susceptible than others, especially those who are self-conscious, anxious, and afraid of being judged negatively by others. So, how can we avoid choking when it really counts?
虽然并⾮所有⼈ 都会经历“反胜为败”， 但研究表明， 部分⼈群更容易受到影响， 尤其是那些⾃我意识较强的， 容易焦虑的， 害怕他⼈负⾯评价的⼈。既然“反胜为败”影响如此之⼤， 我们该如何避免它的出现呢？
First, it helps to practice under stressful conditions. In a study on expert dart players, researchers found that those who hadn’t practiced under stress performed worse when anxious, compared to those who had become accustomed to pressure.
⾸先， 在压⼒环境下练习会有所帮助。 在⼀项关于专业飞镖选⼿的研究中， 研究者发现，从未在压⼒下 练习过的选⼿，在焦虑时 ⽐习惯压⼒的选⼿表现更差。
Secondly, many performers extol the virtues of a preperformance routine, whether it’s taking a few deep breaths, repeating a cue word, or doing a rhythmic sequence of movements. Studies on golfing, bowling, and water polo find that short rituals can lead to more consistent and accurate performance under pressure.
第⼆，许多运动员 推崇进⾏赛前例⾏动作， 例如进⾏⼏次深呼吸， 重复某个提⽰词， 或是进⾏有节奏的⼀系列动作。 在⾼尔夫、保龄球 和⽔球⽅⾯的研究发现， 进⾏简短的仪式性动作 可以使选⼿在压⼒下的表现更为正常和准确。
And thirdly, researchers have shown that having an external focus on the ultimate goal works better than an internal focus, where someone is tuned into the mechanics of what they’re doing. A study of experienced golfers revealed that those who hit chip shots while focused on the flight of the ball performed significantly better than those who focused on the motion of their arms.
第三，研究者表⽰， 将注意⼒集中在实现最终⽬标上， ⽐关注在内部调整⾃⼰ 符合规范动作原理要更加有效。 ⼀项⾼尔夫研究表明， 在切削击球的经验丰富的选⼿中， 那些关注球的飞⾏线路的选⼿， ⽐关注⾃⼰⼿臂运动的 选⼿表现好得多。
So, perhaps we can modify that age-old saying: practice, under pressure, with focus, and with that glorious end goal in sight, makes perfect.
因此我们也许可以 修改那句古⽼谚语， 练习， 在压⼒下， 保持专注， 锁定⽬标的练习， 才会熟能⽣巧。
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