Why we choke under pressure -- and how to avoid it | Sian Leah Beilock

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

One of the most humiliating things

一個人能做出最丟臉的事情，

that you can say about someone is "they choked."

其中之一就是「失常」。

And boy, do I know that feeling.

哇，這感覺我可是很懂的。

Growing up, I was an avid athlete.

成長過程中，我是很熱血的運動員。

My main sport was soccer, and I was a goalkeeper,

我主要玩的運動是足球， 且我是守門員，

which is both the best and the worst position on the field.

那是球場上最好也最糟的位置。

You see, when you're a goalie, you get this special uniform,

如果你是守門員， 你會有特別的制服，

you get all the glory for a great shot saved,

若你擋下了很棒的射門， 榮耀通通歸你，

but you also get the grief when you land a shot in the goal.

但如果你讓球進了門， 悲傷也是歸你。

When you're a goalie,

如果你是守門員， 目光都集中在你身上，

all eyes are on you,

and with that comes the pressure.

目光會帶來壓力。

I distinctly remember one game in high school.

我非常清楚記得高中時的一場比賽。

I was playing for the California state team

我隸屬於加州隊，

which is part of the Olympic Development Program.

這是奧運發展計畫的一部分。

I was having a great game ...

那場比賽我表現很好……

until I realized that the national coach was standing right behind me.

直到我發現

國家教練就站在我後面。

That's when everything changed.

那時一切都改變了。

In a matter of seconds,

才幾秒鐘的時間，

I went from playing at the top to the bottom of my ability.

我就從把能力發揮到最好 變成發揮到最差。

Just knowing that I was being evaluated changed my performance

光是知道有人在評估我， 就改變了我的表現，

and forever how I thought about the mental aspect of how we perform.

以及永遠改變了 我如何看待表現的心理層面。

All of a sudden the ball seemed to go in slow motion,

突然間，球似乎變成了慢動作，

and I was fixated on my every move.

我注視著我的每一個動作。

The next shot that came I bobbled,

下一次射門時，我沒擋下來，

but thankfully it didn't land in the goal.

但謝天謝地，它沒有進門。

The shot after that,

再下一次射門，

I wasn't so lucky:

我就沒那麼幸運了：

I tipped it right into the net.

我輕觸到球，直接送它進門。

My team lost;

我的球隊輸了；

the national coach walked away.

國家教練也走了。

I choked under the pressure of those evaluative eyes on me.

在評鑑我的目光造成的 壓力下，我失常了。

Just about everyone does it from time to time --

幾乎每個人偶爾都會 發生這種狀況——

there are so many opportunities,

有好多機會，

whether it's taking a test,

不論是考試、

giving a talk,

演講、

pitching to a client

向客戶提案，

or that special form of torture I like to call the job interview.

或是折磨的一種特殊形式， 我稱之為工作面試。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But the question is why.

但，問題是，為什麼會這樣？

Why do we sometimes fail to perform up to our potential under pressure?

為什麼在壓力下，我們有時 就無法把潛力發揮出來？

It's especially bewildering in the case of athletes

在運動員的情況中， 這個問題特別讓人困惑，

who spend so much time physically honing their craft.

因為他們花了那麼多時間 在磨練他們的身體技藝。

But what about their minds?

但他們的心靈呢？

Not as much.

沒那麼多磨練。

This is true off the playing field as well.

在球場以外的地方亦是如此。

Whether we're taking a test of giving a talk,

不論是考試或是演講，

it's easy to feel like we're ready --

很容易就覺得我們準備好了——

at the top of our game --

覺得自己最行——

and then perform at our worst when it matters most.

接著卻在最關鍵的時刻 表現得一塌糊塗。

It turns out that rarely do we practice

結果是因為我們練習的時候

under the types of conditions we're actually going to perform under,

很少會有和實際要表現時 同樣的條件或環境，

and as a result,

結果就是，

when all eyes are on us,

當所有人都看著我們時，

we sometimes flub our performance.

我們有時就會搞砸。

Of course, the question is, why is this the case?

當然，問題是，為什麼會這樣？

And my experience on the playing field --

我在球場上的經驗

and in other important facets of my life --

和我人生中其他重要面向的經驗

really pushed me into the field of cognitive science.

讓我進入了認知科學的領域。

I wanted to know how we could reach our limitless potential.

我想要知道我們要如何 達到自己無限的潛能。

I wanted to understand how we could use our knowledge

我想要了解我們要如何運用我們

of the mind and the brain

心靈和大腦的知識，

to come up with psychological tools that would help us perform at our best.

來創造出一些心理工具， 協助我們發揮最佳表現。

So why does it happen?

為什麼會失常？

Why do we sometimes fail to perform up to what we're capable of

為什麼當壓力壓上來時， 我們有時就無法把原本

應該能達成的表現做出來？

when the pressure is on?

It may not be so surprising to hear that in stressful situations, we worry.

我們會在壓力大的情境中擔心， 這點應該不讓人意外。

We worry about the situation,

我們會擔心那個情境，

the consequences,

擔心後果，

what others will think of us.

擔心別人怎麼看待我們。

But what is surprising is that we often get in our own way

但讓人意外的是， 正是因為我們的擔心

precisely because our worries prompt us to concentrate too much.

會過度暗示我們要專心， 反而造成了阻礙。

That's right --

沒錯，

we pay too much attention to what we're doing.

我們對當下做的事過度注意。

When we're concerned about performing our best,

當我們念念不忘要做出最佳表現時

we often try and control aspects of what we're doing

就往往嘗試去控制我們正在做的事，

that are best left on autopilot,

原本最好是留在意識之外 任其自由發展，

outside conscious awareness,

and as a result,

結果就是搞砸了。

we mess up.

Think about a situation where you're shuffling down the stairs.

想想看一個情境， 你正在快速下樓梯。

What would happen if I asked you

如果我請你在下樓梯時

to think about what you're doing with your knee

想著你如何使用你的膝蓋， 會發生什麼事？

while you're doing that?

There's a good chance you'd fall on your face.

很有可能你會跌個狗吃屎。

We as humans only have the ability to pay attention to so much at once,

我們人類同時 能使用的注意力有限，

which is why, by the way,

順便一提，這就是為什麼 開車時最好不要講電話。

it's not a good idea to drive and talk on the cell phone.

And under pressure,

在壓力之下，

when we're concerned about performing at our best,

當我們很在意要做出最佳表現時，

we can try and control aspects of what we're doing

我們可能會試圖去控制 我們正在做的事，

that should be left outside conscious control.

而那些應該不要由意識來控制。

The end result is that we mess up.

最後的結果就是，我們會搞砸。

My research team and I have studied this phenomenon of overattention,

我和我的研究團隊一直在研究 這個注意力過度的現象，

and we call it paralysis by analysis.

我們稱之為「分析造成的癱瘓」。

In one study, we asked college soccer players to dribble a soccer ball

在一項研究中，我們請 大學的足球隊員盤球，

and to pay attention to an aspect of their performance

同時把注意力放在 他們表現的一個面向上，

that they would not otherwise attend to.

那個面向是他們本來不注意的。

We asked them to pay attention

我們請他們去注意

to what side of the foot was contacting the ball.

腳的哪一面接觸到球。

We showed that performance was slower and more error-prone

我們發現，當我們把他們的注意力

轉移到當下行為的細節上時，

when we drew their attention to the step-by-step details

他們的表現會變緩慢且易出錯。

of what they were doing.

When the pressure is on,

當有壓力時，

we're often concerned with performing at our best,

我們會很在意要做出最佳表現，

and as a result we try and control what we're doing

結果就是我們試圖 控制我們在做的事，

to force the best performance.

來強迫做出最佳表現。

The end result is that we actually screw up.

最後的結果就是就是 我們真的會搞砸。

In basketball,

在籃球上，

the term "unconscious" is used to describe a shooter who can't miss.

會用「無意識」來形容神射手。

And San Antonio Spurs star Tim Duncan has said,

聖安東尼馬刺隊的球星 提姆鄧肯說過：

"When you have to stop and think, that's when you mess up."

「要停下來想的時候 就是你搞砸的時候。」

In dance, the great choreographer, George Balanchine,

在舞蹈上，偉大的 編舞家喬治巴蘭奇

used to urge his dancers,

以前會要求他的舞者：

"Don't think, just do."

「別思考，只管去做。」

When the pressure's on,

當有壓力時，

when we want to put our best foot forward,

當我們想要表現得最好時，

somewhat ironically,

很諷刺的，

we often try and control what we're doing in a way that leads to worse performance.

我們控制當下行為的方式

反而導致了最糟的表現。

So what do we do?

所以，我們要怎麼做？

Knowing that we have this overactive attention,

已經知道我們的注意力過度時，

how do we ensure that we perform at our best?

我們要如何確保 自己能做出最佳表現？

A lot of it comes down to the prefrontal cortex,

有很大一部分和前額葉皮質有關，

that front part of our brain that sits over our eyes

它位在我們大腦的 前側，眼睛上方，

and usually helps us focus in positive ways.

通常是以正面的方式 在協助我們專注。

It often gets hooked on the wrong things.

它常常會被不對的事物勾引住。

So how do we unhook it?

我們要如何把它拉回來？

Something as simple as singing a song,

很簡單，比如唱一首歌，

or paying attention to one's pinky toe,

或是把注意力放在小趾頭上，

as pro golfer Jack Nicklaus was rumored to do,

據說職業高爾夫選手 傑克尼克勞斯就用這一招，

can help us take our mind off those pesky details.

這些方式能協助我們 把心思從惱人的細節轉移開。

It's also true that practicing under conditions

還有一點也是確定的， 若能讓練習時的條件

that we're going to perform under --

符合實做時的條件——

closing the gap between training and competition

把訓練和競爭之間的差距縮小，

can help us get used to that feeling of all eyes on us.

能協助我們習慣被眾人矚目的感覺。

This is true off the playing field as well.

在球場以外的地方也一樣。

Whether it's getting ready for an exam

不論是準備考試，

or preparing for a big talk --

或是準備一場重要演說——

one that might have a little pressure associated with it --

可能和壓力有點關係的演說——

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

getting used to the types of situations you're going to perform under

習慣將來要實做時的情境

really matters.

真的很重要。

When you're taking a test, close the book,

若你要考試，把書闔上，

practice retrieving the answer from memory under timed situations,

練習在有時間限制的情況下 把答案從記憶中找出來，

and when you're giving a talk,

若你要演說，

practice in front of others.

在其他人面前練習。

And if you can't find anyone who will listen,

如果你無法找到願意聽的人，

practice in front of a video camera or even a mirror.

在攝影機甚至鏡子前面練習。

The ability to get used to what it will feel like can make the difference

習慣實做感覺的能力能造成不同，

in whether we choke or thrive.

表現失常或是表現出色的不同。

We've also figured out some ways to get rid of those pesky worries

我們也想出一些能夠擺脫那些 惱人的擔憂和自我懷疑的方法，

and self-doubts that tend to creep up in the stressful situations.

它們通常不知不覺地出現在 有壓力的情況下。

Researchers have shown that simply jotting down your thoughts and worries

研究者發現， 在從事有壓力的活動之前

before a stressful event

只要草草寫下你的想法和擔心，

can help to download them from mind --

就能夠協助你把它們 從腦袋中下載下來，

make them less likely to pop up in the moment.

減低它們在重要時刻跳出來的機率。

It's kind of like when you wake up in the middle of the night

這就有點像是當你半夜醒來時，

and you're really worried about what you have to do the next day,

真的很擔心明天要做的事，

you're trying to think about everything you have to accomplish,

你試著去想必須要完成的所有事項，

and you write it down and then you can go back to sleep.

把它們寫下來，就回去睡覺。

Journaling, or getting those thoughts down on paper,

寫日記，或是把那些想法寫在紙上，

makes it less likely they'll pop up and distract you in the moment.

減低它們在重要時刻跳出來 讓你分心的機率。

The end result is that you can perform your best when it matters most.

最後的結果是 在關鍵時刻你能表現得最好。

So up until now,

到目前為止，

I've talked about what happens when we put limits on ourselves

我已經談了當我們把限制 加在自己身上時會發生什麼事，

and some tips we can use to help perform up to our potential.

以及可以用來協助我們 發揮潛能的一些小密訣。

But it's important to remember

但，很重要的是要記住，

that it's not just our own individual being

不只有我們自己本身

that can put limits and that can perform poorly;

會加上限制且會表現不佳；

our environment has an effect on whether we choke or thrive.

我們的環境也能影響我們 會表現失常或表現出色。

Our parents, our teachers, our coaches, our bosses all influence

我們的父母、老師、教練、老闆

都會影響我們是否能在關鍵時刻 做出最佳表現。

whether or not we can put our best foot forward when it matters most.

Take math as an example.

以數學為例。

That's right, I said it:

沒錯，你們沒聽錯：

math.

數學。

Lots of people profess to choke or are anxious about doing math,

許多人聲稱在做數學時 會失常或是焦慮，

whether it's taking a test or even calculating the tip on a dinner bill

不論是考試，或甚至是 旁邊有聰明的朋友在看著

as our smart friends look on.

你計算晚餐帳單上的小費，

And it's quite socially acceptable

大家都還蠻習慣

to talk about choking or performing poorly in math.

可以把在數學上的失常 或不佳表現拿出來談。

You don't hear highly educated people walking around talking about the fact

你不會聽到教育程度高的人到處談論

or bragging about the fact that they're not good readers,

或是誇口說自己的閱讀能力差，

but you hear people all the time bragging about how they're not math people.

但你常會聽到有人吹噓 自己的數學真的不行。

And unfortunately,

不幸的是，

in the US, this tends to be more so among girls and women

在美國，這樣的現象在 女孩和女人中比較常見，

than boys and men.

多於男孩和男人。

My research team and I have tried to understand

我和研究團隊正試圖了解

where this fear of math comes from,

這種對數學的恐懼來自何處，

and we've actually peered inside the brains

實際上我們窺探大腦內部，

using functional magnetic resonance imaging,

用的技術是功能性磁振造影，

of people who are worried about math.

研究對象是怕數學的人。

We've shown that math phobia correlates with a concrete visceral sensation

我們發現，數學恐懼症

和一種實在的內臟感受有相關，

such as pain,

比如痛苦，

of which we have every right to feel anxious.

我們絕對有權對於痛苦感到焦慮。

In fact, when people who are worried about math

事實上，當怕數學的人

are just getting ready to take a math test --

準備要考數學時——

they're not even taking it, they're just getting ready --

還沒開始考，只是準備去考——

areas of the brain known the be involved in our neural pain response are active.

大腦中已知和神經痛反應有關的區域

就會開始活動。

When we say math is painful,

我們說數學讓人很痛苦，

there's some truth to it for some people.

對某些人來說，這或多或少是真的。

But where does this math anxiety come from?

但這種數學焦慮從何而來？

It turns out that math anxiety is contagious.

結果發現，數學焦慮是會傳染的。

When adults are worried about math,

當成人在擔心數學，

the children around them start worrying, too.

他們周圍的兒童也會開始擔心。

As young as first grade,

小至一年級的學童，

when kids are in classrooms

當他們在教室中，

with teachers who are anxious about their own math ability,

老師對於其自身的 數學能力感到焦慮時，

these kids learn less across the school year.

這些孩子在那個學年度 學到的就會比較少。

And it turns out that this is more prevalent in girls than boys.

結果發現，這種情況在女孩當中 比在男孩當中更常見。

At this young age,

在這麼小的時候，

kids tend to mimic same-sex adults,

孩子很容易會去模仿同性別的成人，

and at least in the US,

至少在美國，

over 90 percent of our elementary school teachers are women.

我們的小學老師 有超過 90% 是女性。

Of course, it's not just what happens in the classroom.

當然，這狀況不只發生在教室中。

Social media plays a big role here, too.

社交媒體也扮演很重要的角色。

It wasn't so long ago

不久之前，

that you could purchase a Teen Talk Barbie

你還買得到會說話的少女芭比娃娃，

that when the cord was pulled,

把線繩拉起來之後，

it would say things like,

它就會說這樣的話：

"Will we ever have enough clothes?"

「我們永遠少一件衣服。」

and "Math class is tough."

和「數學課好難。」

And just a few years ago,

幾年前，

major retailers were marketing T-shirts at our young girls

大型零售商在行銷 給年輕女孩的 T 恤

that read things like, "I'm too pretty to do math,"

上面會寫著「我太漂亮， 不需要算數學。」

or, "I'm too pretty to do my homework so my brother does it for me."

或是「我太漂亮，不用做作業， 所以我兄弟會幫我做。」

And let's not forget about the parents.

別忘了還有父母。

Oh, the parents.

喔，父母。

It turns out that when parents are worried about their own math ability

結果發現，如果父母擔心 自己的數學能力

and they help their kids a lot with math homework,

且常常教孩子做數學作業，

their kids learn less math across the school year.

他們的孩子在那個學年 所學到的數學就會比較少。

As one parent put it,

有一位家長這樣說：

"I judge my first grader's math homework

「我判斷我家一年級生的 數學作業難易程度

by whether it's a one-glass assignment or a three-glass night."

是看它得花喝一杯酒 還是三杯酒的時間。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

When adults are anxious about their own math ability,

當成人對於他們自己的 數學能力感到焦慮，

it rubs off on their kids

也會影響他們的孩子，

and it affects whether they choke or thrive.

且會影響到他們的表現 是失常或出色。

But just as we can put limits on others,

但，我們可以在其他人 身上加上限制，

we can take them off.

我們也可以拿掉限制。

My research team and I have shown

我和研究團隊發現，

that when we help parents do fun math activities with their kids --

當我們協助父母與孩子 進行有趣的數學活動——

rather than, say, just doing bedtime stories or bedtime reading,

取代床邊故事或床邊誦讀，

they do bedtime math,

改成做床邊數學，

which are fun story problems to do with your kids at night,

跟孩子一起在晚間解決 有趣的故事性問題，

not only do children's attitudes about math improve,

不僅是孩子對於數學的 態度會改善，

but their math performance across the school year improves as well.

他們在那個學年的 數學表現亦會改善。

Our environment matters.

我們的環境是重要的。

From the classroom to parents to media,

從教室，到父母，到媒體，

and it can really make a difference in terms of whether we choke or thrive.

環境真的可以造成不同， 決定我們的表現會失常或出色。

Fast-forward from my high school soccer game

從我高中的足球比賽快轉

to my freshman year in college.

到我大學一年級。

I was in the chemistry sequence for science majors,

我在讀化學學程，準備主修科學，

and boy did I not belong.

天，那真不適合我。

Even though I studied for my first midterm exam --

雖然我為第一次期中考苦讀——

I thought I was ready to go --

我以為我準備好了——

I bombed it.

我考得很爛。

I literally got the worst grade in a class of 400 students.

我的成績真的是 四百個學生當中最低的。

I was convinced I wasn't going to be a science major,

我深信我不可能主修科學的，

that maybe I was dropping out of college altogether.

說不定我根本就連 大學都要一起放棄掉。

But then I changed how I studied.

但接著，我改變了讀書方式。

Instead of studying alone,

我不再自己一個人讀，

I started studying with a group of friends

我開始和一群朋友一起讀，

who at the end of the study session would close their book

在讀書會的尾聲， 他們會把書本闔上，

and compete for the right answer.

比賽作答。

We learned to practice under stress.

我們學會在壓力下練習。

If you could've looked inside my brain during that first midterm exam,

如果在第一次期中考時 能看到我的大腦內部，

you likely would've seen a neural pain response

很可能會看到有 神經痛的反應發生，

a lot like the math-anxious individuals I study.

就像是我研究的那些數學焦慮者。

It was probably there during the stressful study situation as well.

可能在有壓力的讀書會過程中 也會有同樣的反應。

But when I walked into the final,

但當我去考期末考時，

my mind was quiet,

我很平靜，

and I actually got one of the highest grades in the entire class.

我真的得到了全班最高分之一。

It wasn't just about learning the material;

重點並不只是要學習教材；

it was about learning how to overcome my limits when it mattered most.

還要學習如何在最關鍵的 時刻克服我的限制。

What happens in our heads really matters,

我們腦中發生的狀況是很重要的，

and knowing this,

知道這一點，

we can learn how to prepare ourselves and others for success,

我們就可以學習如何讓自己準備好，

也幫他人準備好，迎向成功，

not just on the playing field but in the boardroom

不僅是在球場上，也在會議室中，

and in the classroom as well.

以及教室中，迎向成功。

Thank you.

謝謝大家。

(Applause)

（掌聲）