Abstract: Choking under pressure is defined as deterioration in the execution of habitual processes of performance under pressure. It often occurs at the critical time of matches and in the important games. Based on relative research, this article reviewed choking definitions and theories that sport psychologists and social psychologists have been interested in. Sport psychologists believed that choking is related to anxiety that distracts the athletes’ attention while performing. Social psychologists, however, suggested that athletes choke because they are trying to control their performance process consciously. The theoretical explanations have resulted in difficulty in the development of therapeutic techniques for ameliorating choking. This article discusses an integrated model suggesting that the task characteristic and skill may be considered as factors of influencing the choking process. According to the integrated model, it is suggested that an appropriate coping strategy may help athletes to reduce the occurrence of choking under pressure. Finally, the article suggests three aspects for further research.

Key words: Choking under pressure, Motor skill, Try hard, Paradoxical effect, Attention, Anxiety