Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
07:15
Tactile Vibrating Toolkit and Driving Simulation Platform for Driving-Related Research
Published on: December 18, 2020
A motivationally-based simulation of performance degradation under pressure
Nicholas R Wilson1, Ron Sun, Robert C Mathews
1Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Department of Cognitive Sciences, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
Summary
We propose a new theory within the CLARION cognitive architecture to explain performance degradation under pressure, integrating motivation and explicit-implicit process interactions. This model successfully simulates existing psychological data.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Computational Psychology
Background:
- Performance degradation under pressure is a known psychological phenomenon.
- Existing theories (distraction, explicit-monitoring) lack detailed mechanistic explanations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a detailed mechanistic theory of performance under pressure within the CLARION cognitive architecture.
- To incorporate motivation and the interaction between explicit and implicit processes.
Main Methods:
- Developed a novel theory within the CLARION cognitive architecture.
- Simulated existing psychological data using the proposed theory.
Main Results:
- The CLARION cognitive architecture, with the new theory, successfully simulated existing data.
- The theory provides a plausible mechanistic explanation for performance degradation under pressure.
Conclusions:
- The proposed CLARION-based theory offers a detailed mechanistic account of performance under pressure.
- Integrating motivation and explicit-implicit interactions is crucial for understanding this phenomenon.
Related Concept Videos
02:05Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about the way you...
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
01:29Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model
The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...
01:12Modeling and Similitude
Scaled modeling is a fundamental technique in engineering, enabling the study of large and complex systems by creating smaller, manageable replicas that recreate critical characteristics of the original. In hydrology and civil infrastructure, for example, scaled models of dams help analyze water flow, turbulence, and pressure. This method allows for accurate predictions of real-world behavior within a controlled environment, significantly reducing the cost and time involved in full-scale...
01:25Self-Regulation
Self-regulation, also known as self-control, encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral processes that allow individuals to adjust their internal states and outward actions to align with socially acceptable norms and long-term goals. It plays a fundamental role in adaptive functioning, from resisting impulsive behaviors to persisting through challenging tasks. While its benefits are widely recognized, self-regulation is not limitless. Muraven and Baumeister's theory posits that...
01:24Stress Concentrations
Stress concentration is when stress intensifies near discontinuities such as holes or abrupt cross-sectional changes in a structural member. This localized stress can often surpass the average stress within the member. The stress distribution in flat bars, either with a circular hole or varying widths connected by fillets, can be determined experimentally using a photoelastic method. The results are based on ratios of geometric parameters like the ratio of the hole's radius to the smaller width...