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Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory
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Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory

Published on: June 14, 2019

Enhanced expectancies improve performance under pressure.

Brad McKay1, Rebecca Lewthwaite, Gabriele Wulf

  • 1Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, NU, USA.

Frontiers in Psychology
|February 1, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Believing you can perform well under pressure enhances motor skills. This study showed that boosting expectations improved throwing accuracy in a high-pressure situation, unlike a control group.

Keywords:
confidencemotor skillperceived abilitythrowing

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Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory
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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Motor Control
  • Sports Science

Background:

  • Performance is influenced by factors beyond innate skill, including self-belief and expectations.
  • Understanding how to manipulate these beliefs can optimize performance in challenging situations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of induced positive expectations on motor performance under pressure.
  • To determine if generic beliefs about performing under challenge affect accuracy in a motor task.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty-one participants completed a throwing accuracy task.
  • An enhanced-expectancy group received positive feedback on their ability to perform under pressure, while a control group received neutral information.
  • Performance was assessed before and after the manipulation in a higher-pressure condition.

Main Results:

  • Both groups performed similarly on the initial task.
  • The enhanced-expectancy group showed a significant improvement in throwing accuracy under pressure.
  • No performance change was observed in the control group.
  • Self-reported beliefs about performing under challenge correlated with improved accuracy.

Conclusions:

  • Enhancing individuals' generic expectancies can positively influence motor performance in high-pressure scenarios.
  • Self-efficacy and performance expectations are critical determinants of motor skill execution.
  • These findings have implications for training and performance enhancement strategies.