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Nerves of Steel? Stress, Work Performance and Elite Athletes

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  • David A. Savage
  • Benno Torgler

Abstract

There is a notable shortage of empirical research directed at measuring the magnitude and direction of stress effects on performance in a controlled environment. One reason for this is the inherent difficulties in identifying and isolating direct performance measures for individuals. Additionally most traditional work environments contain a multitude of exogenous factors impacting individual performance, but controlling for all such factors is generally unfeasible (omitted variable bias). Moreover, instead of asking individuals about their self-reported stress levels we observe workers' behavior in situations that can be classified as stressful. For this reason we have stepped outside the traditional workplace in an attempt to gain greater controllability of these factors using the sports environment as our experimental space. We empirically investigate the relationship between stress and performance, in an extreme pressure situation (football penalty kicks) in a winner take all sporting environment (FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Cup competitions). Specifically, we examine all the penalty shootouts between 1976 and 2008 covering in total 16 events. The results indicate that extreme stressors can have a positive or negative impact on individuals' performance. On the other hand, more commonly experienced stressors do not affect professionals' performances.

Suggested Citation

  • David A. Savage & Benno Torgler, 2009. "Nerves of Steel? Stress, Work Performance and Elite Athletes," CREMA Working Paper Series 2009-22, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
  • Handle: RePEc:cra:wpaper:2009-22
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    6. Benno Torgler, 2004. "The Economics of the FIFA Football Worldcup," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(2), pages 287-300, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Marcella Cartledge & Luke Taylor, 2022. "Incentive pay and decision quality: evidence from NCAA football coaches," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(30), pages 3505-3520, June.
    2. Chan, Ho Fai & Savage, David A. & Torgler, Benno, 2019. "There and back again: Adaptation after repeated rule changes of the game," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 75(PB).
    3. Raul Caruso & Marco Di Domizio & David A. Savage, 2015. "Hic Sunt Leones! The role of national identity on aggressiveness between national football teams," DISCE - Quaderni del Dipartimento di Politica Economica ispe0076, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    4. Lackner, Mario & Sonnabend, Hendrik, 2021. "Coping with advantageous inequity—Field evidence from professional penalty kicking," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    5. Caruso, Raul & Di Domizio, Marco & Savage, David A., 2015. "Determinants of aggressiveness on the soccer pitch: evidence from FIFA and UEFA tournaments," MPRA Paper 61459, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Raul Caruso & Marco Di Domizio, 2015. "La Serie A In Televisione E Allo Stadio: Presentazione Del Dataset Audiball 1.0," Rivista di Diritto ed Economia dello Sport, Centro di diritto e business dello Sport, vol. 11(1), pages 161-185, maggio.
    7. Scott Wallace & Steven B. Caudill & Franklin G. Mixon, 2013. "Homo certus in professional basketball? Empirical evidence from the 2011 NBA Playoffs," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(7), pages 642-648, May.
    8. Tom P. Vandebroek & Brian T. McCann & Govert Vroom, 2018. "Modeling the Effects of Psychological Pressure on First-Mover Advantage in Competitive Interactions," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 19(5), pages 725-754, June.
    9. Yovav Eshet & Pnina Steinberger & Keren Grinautsky, 2021. "Relationship between Statistics Anxiety and Academic Dishonesty: A Comparison between Learning Environments in Social Sciences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-18, February.
    10. Raul Caruso & Marco Di Domizio & David A. Savage, 2015. "Determinants of aggressiveness in soccer: Evidence from FIFA and UEFA tournaments," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 35(3), pages 2005-2011.
    11. Marisa Bucheli & Mariana Gerstenblüth & Máximo Rossi, 2015. "Competition and Food Intake: A Laboratory Study," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0615, Department of Economics - dECON.
    12. Raul Caruso & Marco Di Domizio & David A. Savage, 2017. "Differences in National Identity, Violence and Conflict in International Sport Tournaments: Hic Sunt Leones!," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(4), pages 511-545, November.
    13. Niclas Almén, 2022. "A Functionalistic Stress Recovery Intervention Improves Perceived Recovery Opportunities and Relaxational Behaviors: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-11, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    performance; stressors; sport; behavioral economics; work-related stress;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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