Previous studies have shown that self-consciousness traits are closely related to choking under pressure (Baumeister, 1984; Wang et al., 2004). However, it has not be distinguished between private and public self-consciousness. This study investigated the influence of private and public self-consciousness of athletes on the factors of choking under pressure. 281 subjects were asked to respond to a questionnaire on choking factors (Murayama and Sekiya, 2012) and a self-consciousness scale (Tsuji, 1993), and data from 253 subjects were analyzed. The results showed that higher private and public self-consciousness had more choking experience. Furthermore, we examined the influence of private and public self-consciousness on the factors of choking and found that private self-consciousness showed significant positive effects to be associated with changes in motor control, vicious circles, abnormal physical sensations, and conscious processing (attention to movement). In contrast, public self-consciousness showed significant positive effects on changes in motor control and vicious circles, perceptual and cognitive confusion, feelings of physical heaviness and weakness, passivity, and safety-oriented strategies. The results indicate that private and public self-consciousness affect different factors of choking under pressure.
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