Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/184975 
Year of Publication: 
2017
Series/Report no.: 
Working Papers in Economics and Statistics No. 2017-24
Publisher: 
University of Innsbruck, Research Platform Empirical and Experimental Economics (eeecon), Innsbruck
Abstract: 
Psychological pressure affects performance. This is especially true for individuals completing precision tasks in decisive situations, such as assessment tests, job talks, or sports competitions. In this paper, I shed light on detrimental effects of pressure on performance, a phenomenon known as "choking under pressure". I analyze a unique setting in which the effect of pressure on performance is naturally observable: Biathlon World Cup competitions. As the last shot in the final bout of shootings is regularly decisive for the victory, pressure is highest on the leader of the competition not to miss this last shot. Using event data from 11 seasons of Biathlon World Cup, I find strong evidence for "choking under pressure", implying that especially leaders are more likely to fail decisive shots. Furthermore, taking more time for the last shootings bout leads to a decrease in performance. Finally, I show suggestive evidence for a momentum effect - after missing a shot during the last shooting bout, the probability of missing the last shot decreases.
Subjects: 
choking under pressure
psychological pressure
Biathlon
JEL: 
L83
M51
M54
Z20
L83
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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