Peak Performance Under Pressure

MUSI20203

Week 1 - Introduction to Peak Performance

Week 1 Semester 2, 2023

Associate Professor Don Immel

(Performance, Trombone) Melbourne Conservatorium of Music
Subject Coordinator

Dr Margaret Osborne
Senior Lecturer in Psychology & Music (Performance Science)
 ‘I respectfully acknowledge Traditional Owners and Custodians of the Country on which I
work, live and continue to learn – recognising totems, songlines and their connection to the
land, waterways and sky above. I also pay my respects to all our Elders past and present.’

Artwork by Jordan Lovegrove, Ngarrindjeri man and graphic designer 2

© Margaret Osborne
 What we cover

Factors that facilitate optimal performance…

music and the performing arts

sports
public speaking

exams
etc.

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 Overarching discipline

APA Division 47 Definition of Performance Psychology (2011)

Performance psychology is the study and application of

psychological principles of human performance

to help people consistently perform in the upper range of their

capabilities, and

more thoroughly enjoy the performance process.

(APA Division 47 Practice Committee; Portenga et al, 2017, p. 52)

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 Subject Overview

How?

examining theoretical frameworks, research findings and using real-world

examples

engage you in practical strategies commonly used to achieve optimal

performance.

Performance practice is involved, but no need for deep introspection and challenge to
the point of emotional distress beyond that experienced in everyday life.

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 Learning Outcomes

The result?
Identify, develop and execute the mental and emotional
knowledge, skills and abilities required for achieving one’s full
potential in performance domains

Understand how to develop consistent skill execution and

positive performance experiences.

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 Outline

12 weeks of “lectorials”:
• Complete the readings before each class,
• watch any pre-recorded videos,
• contribute to the discussion forums

This is on top of the performance logs of your strategy practice and assignment work.

Co-delivered by Don, Margaret, and guest lecturers

Strategy practice is integrated into the lectures as much as

possible

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 Lecture Outline, Readings & Tasks
LMS -> Subject Overview - learning outcomes, assessment activities, due dates.

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 Lecture Outline, Readings & Tasks

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 What is Performance?
Performance…

= Preparation + Skill + Psychological Readiness

AND/OR

= Potential – Impediments

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 What IS “peak performance”?

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 Peak performance

= when we think and feel we are performing at our best

(Brandon & Ivens, 2009).

= “superior functioning that exceeds an individual’s probable

performance quality, or full use of potential,
in any activity”
(Jackson & Kimiecik, 2008, p. 379)

Not emotionally driven

– rather –
action-oriented

(Harmison & Castro, 2012)

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 “Peak Performances occur when fully engaging your imagination to create
an intension whilst simultaneously allowing your body to take part.”
– Don Immel

anxiety associated with performance

• sport (Hanton & Jones, 1999; Jones, Swain & Hardy, 1993)
• school tests (King, Mietz, Tinney & Ollendick, 1995; Prins & Hanewald, 1999)
• music performance (Fehm & Schmidt, 2005; Kubzansky & Stewart, 1999; Wolfe, 1989)

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 What is Pressure?
Pressure is…

“…any factor or combination of factors that increases the importance

of doing well” (Baumeister, 1984, p. 610).

THE most common source of situational stress in sport

(Weinberg & Gould, 2007) and other performance domains.

(Wilson, 2012, p. 174)

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What is Anxiety?

Usually ego-threatening,
competitive environment,
an unpleasant psychological reaction to perceived threat
concerning the performance of a task under pressure.
(Cheng, Hardy & Markland, 2009, p. 271 in Wilson, 2012, p. 174)

The relationship between anxiety and performance has most

frequently been considered in terms of the consequences of poor
performance, and the dreaded “choke”.

(Wilson, 2012, p. 174)

Peak performance = many definitions

Athletes’ greatest moments across 12different sports (Ravizza, 1977)

Loss of fear—no fear of failure

No thinking of performance

Total immersion in the activity

Narrow focus of attention

Effortless performance—not forcing it

Feeling of being in complete control

Time-space disorientation (usually slowed down)

Perceive universe to be integrated and unified

Unique, temporary, involuntary experience
(Dewey, 2007)
Optimal states

Elite athletes describe perceptions of optimal states (Jackson, 1996; in Dewey,

2007) as:

• the paradox of control (feeling in control without having to think

about it)

• mirroring of action and awareness (being so involved that the

activity seems spontaneous and automatic), and

• concentration (being completely focused on the task at hand).

(Jackson, 1996; in Dewey, 2007)

Optimal experience

Stretch your skills to meet the challenge.

A state of flow in which an athlete or other person performs at his

or her best, seemingly without effort, but with total concentration,
feeling totally in control without thinking about it.

Self-consciousness recedes into the background as total focus is

upon present activity.

(Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)
Actualising our potential

Actualizing potential made easier when others force us to do our best

Competition improves experience as long as attention is focused primarily on

the activity itself.

If extrinsic (outcome) goals (beating opponent, impress an audience, big

professional contract etc), then competition becomes a distraction, rather than
an incentive to focus consciousness on what is happening.
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p73)
Reflect-Pair-Share in response to Mornell reading:

Conquering the Fear of Fear

 4 types of activation
PHYSIOLOGICAL COGNITIVE

EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOURAL

© Margaret Osborne
 4 types of activation
PHYSIOLOGICAL COGNITIVE

Rapid HR, shaking, sweatiness, clamy

hands, dry mouth, breathlessness/rapid
breathing etc etc

Energy - Rapid HR, shaking, dry mouth

etc…

EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOURAL

© Margaret Osborne
 4 types of activation
PHYSIOLOGICAL COGNITIVE

Rapid HR, shaking, sweatiness, clamy Worry, self-critical thoughts,

hands, dry mouth, breathlessness/rapid perfectionism,
breathing etc etc “What if…?”

Energy - Rapid HR, shaking, dry mouth Focus, concentration, realistic thinking,
etc… growth mindset

EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOURAL

© Margaret Osborne
 4 types of activation
PHYSIOLOGICAL COGNITIVE

Rapid HR, shaking, sweatiness, clamy Worry, self-critical thoughts,

hands, dry mouth, breathlessness/rapid perfectionism,
breathing etc etc “What if…?”

Energy - Rapid HR, shaking, dry mouth Focus, concentration, realistic thinking,
etc… growth mindset

EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOURAL

Anxiety, fear, dread, panic, shame, guilt

etc

Confidence, joy, pride, compassion

© Margaret Osborne
 4 types of activation
PHYSIOLOGICAL COGNITIVE

Rapid HR, shaking, sweatiness, clamy Worry, self-critical thoughts,

hands, dry mouth, breathlessness/rapid perfectionism,
breathing etc etc “What if…?”

Energy - Rapid HR, shaking, dry mouth Focus, concentration, realistic thinking,
etc… growth mindset

EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOURAL

Anxiety, fear, dread, panic, shame, guilt Non-challenging repertoire

etc Group > solo
Avoidance (obvious, checking out)
Confidence, joy, pride, compassion
Deliberate practice, performance
simulation
© Margaret Osborne
INTRODUCE YOURSELF *to someone you don’t know*
1. your name, 4 types of activation
2. your degree, stage, tribe?
3. why you choose to do this subject, and
4. an interesting thing about yourself that you're happy to share (e.g., you love Oreos).

PHYSIOLOGICAL COGNITIVE

Rapid HR, shaking, sweatiness, clamy hands, dry mouth, Worry, self-critical thoughts, perfectionism,
breathlessness/rapid breathing etc etc “What if…?”

Energy - Rapid HR, shaking, dry mouth etc… Focus, concentration, realistic thinking, growth mindset

EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOURAL

Anxiety, fear, dread, panic, shame, guilt etc Non-challenging repertoire

Group > solo
Confidence, joy, pride, compassion Avoidance (obvious, checking out)

Deliberate practice, performance simulation

© Margaret Osborne
Values
 Values
Has deep, positive worth for you =>
eg. Happy, excited, meaningful, worthwhile, *rewarding.

Your own (subjective), might not be for everyone.

e.g., I value performing live music because it puts me in touch with the
audience

NOT duty (that’s necessity - washing dishes = OK; nailing difficult solo in a
piece you chose = GREAT!!)

NOT goal (that’s something that can be marked off along the way)

(Juncos & DePaiva E Pona, 2022)

Anxiety compromises optimal function <<< NOT
this

31
(Eifert & Forsyth, 2005, p. 65)
 What are performance values?
Examples
• Emotion/expression (being an emotionally
expressive performer)
• Connection (connecting with the audience, peers)
• Beauty (participating in the beauty of music)
Executing proper technique
• Artistic growth
• Leadership (being a section leader) Practicing and being fully prepared
• Effective teaching (by explaining and
demonstrating proper technique)
• Humility (being a humble performer)
• Generosity (devoting my music performance to
others)

(Juncos & DePaiva E Pona, 2022)

 What are YOUR performance values?

1. What is most important about being a musician, to you?

What do you stand for as a musician?
How do you want to be known or remembered as a musician?
___________________________________________________________

2. When you’re performing at your best, what are you doing exactly in your
performance?
When you see others performing at their best, what are they doing in their
performance?
When you’re making good musical decisions, what are you doing?
When someone else is making good musical decisions, what are they doing?
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(Juncos & DePaiva E Pona, 2022)
 What are YOUR performance values?

3. Whenever you’re feeling alive or excited during your performances, what are you
typically doing?
Whenever someone else’s performance leaves you feeling alive or excited, what
are they typically doing?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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(Juncos & DePaiva E Pona, 2022)
 Key Idea:

Your Performance Mission Statement is

“…a statement that reflects your performance-related value or

values, and it includes an example or examples of what valued
actions you can take to illustrate each value.

Once you define your Performance Mission Statement, you can use it
to more easily create goals that show how you will carry out each
valued action in a concrete and measurable way.”
(Juncos & de Paiva E Pona, 2022, p. 159)

clear intention

© Margaret Osborne
 Your mission, should you choose to
accept it

I value being __(adjective)__, __(noun).

I value being an expressive musician.

I value being an expressive and engaging musician.

© Margaret Osborne
 Your mission, should you choose to
accept it

Now, add an example(s) of an action which is consistent with your stated

value.

I value being an expressive musician,

by (example of valued action) _____________________________
expressing my emotions when they occur,
and/or by (example of valued action)_______________________
expressing thoughts/motives of my character
and/or by (example of valued action)_______________________
expressing what the composer wants to communicate. etc….
© Margaret Osborne
 Your mission, should you choose to
accept it

I value being an expressive musician,

by (example of valued action) expressing my emotions when they occur,
and/or by (example of valued action) expressing thoughts/motives of my character
and/or by (example of valued action) expressing what the composer wants to communicate.
AND
I also value being a technically skilled musician,
by (example of valued action) repeatedly focusing on proper technique
and/or by (example of valued action) seeking to learn new techniques

© Margaret Osborne
 Your mission, should you choose to
accept it

“I value being an expressive musician by expressing my emotions when they

occur, and by expressing the thoughts and motives of my character. I also
value being a technically skilled musician by repeatedly focusing on proper
technique, and by seeking to learn new techniques.”

© Margaret Osborne
 Guide your goals in 3 steps
“I value being an expressive musician by expressing my emotions when they occur”

1. How can I make this valued action more concrete?

When anxious/sad/angry/happy etc., I will express it through my physical gestures (e.g., swaying) during my
solo performances.
2. How can I measure this valued action?
When anxious/sad/angry/happy etc., I will express it through my physical gestures (e.g., swaying) during the
prominent crescendos in each song during each of my solo performances this semester.
3. How will I know if/when I’ve achieved this goal?
When anxious/sad/angry/happy etc., I will express it through my physical gestures (e.g., swaying) during the
prominent crescendos in each song during each of my solo performances this semester, until I receive
feedback about it from my vocal instructor after my recital at the end of this semester.

(Juncos & de Paiva e Pona, 2022, p 171-173)

© Margaret Osborne
Graded discussion assessment task - #1

INSERT NEW GRADED DISCUSSION CONTENT HERE

Adapted from Williamon, 2004
PA
 Optimal arousal
precedes
(McCaskie et al, 2011)

PA
Sub-optimal, Optimal or Peak?
All performances fall into three categories

Performance category Characteristics

Sub-optimal Falling far short of your genuine capabilities.

Sub-optimal, Optimal or Peak?
All performances fall into three categories

Performance category Characteristics

Sub-optimal Falling far short of your genuine capabilities.

Optimal* Performing quite well, though not necessarily at the

absolute height of your potential.
*Many successful performers do most of their performing
at the optimal level.*
Sub-optimal, Optimal or Peak?
All performances fall into three categories
(Greene, 2002, Performance Success, p15):

Performance category Characteristics

Sub-optimal Falling far short of your genuine capabilities.

Optimal* Performing quite well, though not necessarily at the

absolute height of your potential.
*Many successful performers do most of their performing
at the optimal level.*
Peak Ever-elusive ideal. Everything magically comes together.
The task virtually performs itself.
Executed your performance at the maximum of your
potential.
*You can’t get here without understanding and achieving
optimal performance first.*
Theoretical models
Yerkes-Dodson Inverted-U law of arousal (1908)
“…one of the most ubiquitous observations in all of psychology.”
(Hancock & Ganey, 2003, p6)

Originally a simple relationship between anxiety and performance, in the

form of a “unitary arousal construct”
v anxiety impairs the quality of performance, above and below an
intermediate level of physiological arousal.
Stress-performance model
But not quite so simple…
Extended-U model

A moderate amount of anxiety enhances performance when

an individual’s skill level matches the performance demands
of the situation (Jackson & Csikszentmihalyi, 1999) ….

…. and the individual interprets that anxiety positively (Jones, Swain, &
Hardy 1993).
Stress/arousal, complexity & performance

(Tassi et al., 2003)

Physiological arousal and task mastery

(Kokotsaki & Davidson, 2003)

Stress-performance model of choking

(Osborne, Greene & Immel, 2014, p3)

Choking…
“the occurrence of inferior performance despite striving and incentives for
superior performance (Baumeister & Showers, 1986, p. 361).”

• can involve acute or chronic bouts of suboptimal performance, and

complex interplay of cognitive, attentional, emotional and situational
factors
• whilst choking, the performer can make rational decisions and select the
correct ‘plan of action’ under pressure, but cannot execute it because of
intervening psychological factors.

(Wilson, 2012)
Theories of choking

Self-focus
1. Pressure raises anxiety and self-consciousness
about performing successfully

2. Increases attention to
skill processes and step-by-step control.

3. Effortful allocation of attention

disrupts previously automated processes (Lewis & Linder,
1997)

i.e., too much attention to the performance task

(Wilson, 2012, p. 174-5)

 Distraction = the opposite

DISTRACTION

Cognitive anxiety/worry uses attentional resources that are diverted away from task-
relevant cues.

Performance changes from one task, to two:

Controlling the Attending to worried

performance task thoughts*

*= interference! Not enough attention to the performance task

(Wilson, 2012)
Are pressure effects always negative?

To Choke, or to Clutch?
 “any performance
increment or superior Clutch performance
performance that
occurs
under pressure
circumstances”
(Otten, 2009, p.584)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyKqMDdic-o
“Relentless

Spontaneous

Fantastic”

(cue words??)
JH: I’m happy. I’m happy we won.

JH: We had a terrible loss last game, we wanted to bounce back….

I: What does it feel like to be in the zone like that?

JH: You gotta be locked in, you gotta have that mindset to where, you’re just in
attack mode, every play, and that’s what I was in tonight.

I: What is the most important thing heading into playoffs?

JH: Win. Win. (4:02-4:35).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyKqMDdic-o
Is anxiety all bad?

In clutch performance (a good performance), anxiety doesn’t hinder, but in

fact, assists some performers to perform better under pressure.

The Directional Perspective

Anxiety symptoms are perceived as facilitative (i.e., necessary for mental
preparation & performance), not debilitative (Jones, 1991)
(Wilson, 2012, p. 175)
The Transactional Perspective of Stress

STRESS ANXIETY

Stress results from an imbalance between environmental demands & individual resources.

(Wilson, 2012, p. 175)

 What can I do to perform more like myself on stage?

“Performance anxiety isn't as simple as it's often made out to be. So there's no
one-size-fits all technique, hack, or gimmicky quick fix that's going to produce
deep, lasting results for everyone.

Real change require a more systematic and multi-dimensional approach.

…identifying your mental strengths and weaknesses and developing new skills in
the 7 areas that are hallmarks of elite performers.”

HENCE – why you’re doing the Performance Skills Assessment (PSA)

(Kageyama, 2016)

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 Over the coming week…

1. Graded Discussion #1 Performance Mission Statement

Due - Sunday 30 July 5pm

2. Readings for week (1 and) 2.

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Thank you

© Copyright The University of Melbourne 2011