Defining the “choke” is no joke: Using a Delphi method to reach expert consensus on a choking under pressure definition in sport

Competitive sport naturally involves increased pressure. When this pressure consumes the performer, choking under pressure (i.e., choking) may have occurred. However, researchers are yet to collectively identify important elements within a choking definition, nor have they reached a strong consensus on a single, unified definition. Therefore, this study aimed to gain expert agreement on the likely elements of choking, and re-conceptualise a choking definition to better inform research, utilizing a modified Delphi method approach. Participants included 23 choking experts (five females, 18 males; Mage = 45.61 years) who met stringent research experience-based inclusion criteria (e.g., completed a degree equivalent to a PhD and had considerable choking publication experience in peer-reviewed journals). Through four stages of the Delphi method, which included survey-based and interview rounds, the experts identified six key choking elements which culminated into a newly created choking definition that reached 91% expert consensus. That is, choking under pressure is a consequential performance decrease, despite the individual being motivated to perform well, that is outside the individual’s expected performance variability during situations of perceived importance and is commonly accompanied by feelings of anxiety. To conclude, we provide recommendations for future researchers, including that this new and universally accepted definition could be applied to choking research to understand its practical relevance. This novel study was the first to offer a researcher-agreed upon choking definition. Applying this definition in future studies will allow for clarification on how this definition may be relevant within real-world sporting contexts (e.g., competition).