title: The effects of high pressure on the point of no return in simulated penalty kicks.
abstract: We investigated the effects of high pressure on the point of no return or the minimum time required for a kicker to respond to the goalkeeper's dive in a simulated penalty kick task. The goalkeeper moved to one side with different times available for the participants to direct the ball to the opposite side in low-pressure (acoustically isolated laboratory) and high-pressure situations (with a participative audience). One group of participants showed a significant lengthening of the point of no return under high pressure. With less time available, performance was at chance level. Unexpectedly, in a second group of participants, high pressure caused a qualitative change in which for short times available participants were inclined to aim in the direction of the goalkeeper's move. The distinct effects of high pressure are discussed within attentional control theory to reflect a decreasing efficiency of the goal-driven attentional system, slowing down performance, and a decreasing effectiveness in inhibiting stimulus-driven behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Kamp
authors.forename: Edgard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morya
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranvaud
authors.forename: Geert J P
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Savelsbergh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011601:Psychophysics; D011930:Reaction Time; D012916:Soccer / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology