The effects of psychological pressure cognition and performance during an esport task.

What is it about?

This study looked into how feeling stressed affects the thinking and performance of esports players at different skill levels. In the first part, 90 participants, some national-level and some university-level competitors, played a competitive video game under low- and high-pressure situations. The results showed that under high pressure, players reported more anxiety, perceived the situation as more threatening, had less effective eye movements, and performed worse. These effects were more pronounced in university-level players. In the second part, the study involved 28 national-level players and added more realistic elements to the high-pressure situation, like a live audience and feedback during the game. Players still experienced higher anxiety, saw the situation as more threatening, had less effective eye movements, and performed worse, even when putting in more mental effort. The findings suggest that in esports, performance can decline under pressure because of increased anxiety, seeing the situation as more threatening, and disrupted eye movements, even when players try harder mentally.

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Photo by ELLA DON on Unsplash

Photo by ELLA DON on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study offers crucial insights that can be valuable for professionals actively working with esports competitors, such as coaches and sport psychologists. The information provided can be utilized to assist esports players in enhancing their performance during critical moments, including strategies to mitigate anxiety, enhance coping abilities, and sustain optimal control over attention.

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