如何在压力下保持冷静
How to stay calm under pressure
原文阅读
Your favorite athlete closes in for a victorious win. The crowd holds its breath, and at the crucial moment, she misses the shot. That competitot 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? There are two sets of theories, which both say that primarily, choking under pressure boils down to focus.
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 con only process so much information at once. 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 diffcult memory-intensive tasks.
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 gose that once a skill becomes automatic, thinking about its precise mechanics interferes with your ability to do it. Tasks we do unconsciously seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of choking. A study on competitve golfers compared their performance when instructed 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.
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? 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 axious, compared to those who had become accustomed to pressure. Secondly, many performers extol the virtues of a pre-performance routine, whether is'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. And thirdly, researchers have shown that having an external 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. So, perhaps we can modify that age-old saying: practice, under pressure, with focus and with that glorious end goal in sight, makes perfect.
生词统计
| 单词 | 音标 | 翻译 |
|---|---|---|
| crucial | ˈkruːʃl | adj. 重要的、决定性的、定局的、决断的 |
| despite | dɪˈspaɪt | prep. 即使、尽管； n. 侮辱、伤害、轻视、鄙视； v. 蔑视、轻蔑 |
| intense | ɪnˈtens | adj. 强烈的、紧张的、非常的、热情的 |
| haunt | hɔːnt | v. 常出没于...、萦绕于...、出没、作祟； n. 栖息地、常去的地方 |
| contesttant | kənˈtestənt | n. 竞争者、争辩者 |
| intuitive | ɪnˈtuːɪtɪv | adj. 直觉的、凭直觉获知的 |
| boil down to | -- | 归结为 |
| distract | dɪˈstrækt | v. 转移、分心 |
| with nothing at stake | -- | 没有任何利害关系 |
| explicit | ɪkˈsplɪsɪt | adj. 明确的、清楚的、直率的、详述的 |
| monitor | ˈmɑːnɪtər | n. 监视器、监听器、监控器、显示屏、班长； v. 监控 |
| interfere | ˌɪntərˈfɪr | v. 干涉、妨碍、打扰； |
| accurate | ˈækjərət | adj. 精确的 |
| versus | ˈvɜːrsəs | prep. 对、对抗、与...相对 |
| acutely aware | -- | 清醒地意识到 |
| susceptible | səˈseptəbl | adj. 易受影响的、易感动的； n. 易得病的人 |
| extol | ɪkˈstoʊl | v. 颂扬、赞美、赞颂 |
| virtue | ˈvɜːrtʃuː | n. 美德、优点、贞操、功效 |
| sequence | ˈsiːkwəns | n. 序列、顺序、续发事件； v. 按顺序排好 |
| ritual | ˈrɪtʃuəl | n. 仪式、惯例、礼制； adj. 仪式的、例行的、礼节性的 |
| ultimate | ˈʌltɪmət | adj. 最终的、极限的、根本的； n. 终极、根本、基本原则 |
翻译
Your favorite athlete closes in for a victorious win. The crowd holds its breath, and at the crucial moment, she misses the shot. That competitor just experienced the phenomenon known as 'choking', where despite months, even years of practice, a person fails right when it matters most.
你最喜欢的运动员即将取得胜利。人群摒住了呼吸，在关键的时刻，她没有命中。这位选手刚刚经历了一种被称为“重压窒息”的现象，这是指尽管练习了数月、甚至数年，一个人还是会失败的情况。
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.
这种现象在体育运动中很常见，通常在重压下或关键时刻发生。而且，焦虑也会影响公众演讲者，拼写比赛选手，甚至是世界著名音乐家。
Most people intuitively blame it on their nerves, but why dose being nervous undermine expert performance? There are two sets of theories, which both say that primarily, choking under pressure boils down to focus.
大多数人本能的把这种情况归咎为紧张，但为什么紧张会影响专业表现呢？现在有两种理论都认为，重压窒息产生的根本原因是注意力。
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. Tasks that challenge working memory, the mental 'scratch pad' we use to temporarily store phone numbers and grocery lists, are especially vulnerable to pressure.
首先是注意力分散理论。这是指注意力没有放在手头工作上，而是被忧虑、疑惑、恐惧所占据。当相关于不相关的想法同时汇聚时，必须放弃其中之一。大脑每次处理的信息是有限的。那些挑战工作记忆的任务尤其容易受到压力的影响，工作记忆是我们用来临时储存电话号码和购物清单的大脑“记事本”。
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.
在2004年的一项研究中，一组大学生被要求解答一些数学问题，问题有易有难而且需要高强度记忆。一半学生在毫无压力的情况下完成了两种类型的问题。而其他学生是在压力下保持冷静完成的，每个人在简单的问题上都做的很出色，那些感到压力的人在完成难度更大，需要高强度记忆的任务时，表现得更差。
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.
明确监控理论构成了第二种对重压窒息得解释。他们关心得是压力如何使人们过度分析手头的工作。
Here, the logic goes that once a skill becomes automatic, thinking about its precise mechanics interferes with your ability to do it. Tasks we do unconsciously seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of choking. A study on competitve golfers compared their performance when instructed 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.
逻辑上，一旦某项技能变成本能反应，思考它的精密机制会干扰你的能力。我们下意识的动作似乎很容易收到重压窒息的影响。一项关于高尔夫球手的研究对以下两种情况进行了比较，一种是按照指示，只关注尽可能的精准进球，另一种是有意识的注意推杆击球的动作机制，高尔夫球手通常会下意识的执行这个动作，所以把注意力突然调整到准确完成动作过程的人，他们的进球率变得更糟。
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? 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. Secondly, many performers extol the virtues of a pre-performance 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. 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.
重压窒息并不是不可避免的。研究表明，有些人比他人更容易收到影响，特别是那些自我意识过剩、焦虑、害怕被他人负面评价的人。所以，我们如何避免这种情况发生？首先，在有压力的环境下练习是有帮助的。在一项有关专业飞镖玩家的研究中，那些没有在压力下练习过的人，相比那些习惯压力的，在焦虑时表现得更差。其次，许多表演者都体长上台前先做一些理性动作，可以是几次深呼吸、重复提示词、或者做一些有节奏的动作。有关高尔夫、高龄求和水球的研究发现，简短的仪式可以使状态更稳定，在压力下发挥的更好。第三点，研究人员表示，把终极目标作为关注点，要比以自身为中心更有效，通常是在某人做事的时候关注做事方法。
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. So, perhaps we can modify that age-old saying: practice, under pressure, with focus and with that glorious end goal in sight, makes perfect.
一项有关经验丰富的高尔夫球手的研究表明，那些在切杆时关注球的飞行情况的人，比那些注意力都在手臂挥舞动作的人表现的更出色。所以，或许我们可以修改那句古话：在压力下全神贯注的练习，专注于远大目标方能达到完美。