Effects of Monitoring and Outcome Pressure on Skilled Typists’ Performance

Choking under pressure refers to suboptimal performance under stressful conditions in an individual who, based on prior performance, would be expected to perform at a higher level. Although most observed in sports, choking can occur in musical performance, test-taking, and other skilled domains. The present study used typing to examine the effects of monitoring pressure, outcome pressure, and task difficulty on the cognitive processes underlying typing. Seventy-six undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of four between-subjects conditions: control, monitoring pressure (video camera), outcome pressure (monetary competition), or combined pressure. Participants copy-typed high- and low-frequency four-letter words; reaction time to first keystroke (RT1), inter-keystroke interval (IKSI), and error rate indexed outer-loop, inner-loop, and accuracy processes respectively. Results revealed no evidence of choking under any pressure condition, but consistent task difficulty effects: low-frequency words slowed both RT1 and IKSI. These findings suggest typing is resilient to moderate pressure and highlight its promise as an accessible testbed for choking research.