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Researchers from the German Sport University Cologne and New Zealand propose a new perspective for understanding performance under pressure; article published in the renowned journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences Oct 15, 2026, 11:39:30 AM Julia Neuburg , Deutsche Sporthochschule Koln The decisive penalty kick in a final, match point in tennis, or the last attempt in a competition: when a lot is at stake, even a well-practised performance can suddenly break down. Yet pressure does not necessarily impair performance. Some people perform at their best precisely in the moments that matter most. Existing accounts can only partly explain why.Researchers from the German Sport University Cologne, together with colleagues from New Zealand, are now offering a new perspective on this question. In their article Beyond attention: Performance pressure shifts information-processing complexity (DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2026.09.008), recently published in the renowned international journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences, they challenge existing accounts by focusing on a largely overlooked aspect: under pressure, it may not only be which information receives our attention that changes, but also how that information is processed, integrated, and translated into action.Between simplification and complexityFor many years, research has examined how attention shifts under pressure. Do we start to consciously control highly automatized movements? Do we get distracted by the audience, by our own thoughts? These perspectives can help explain why performance deteriorates under pressure. However, they provide a less complete explanation of why people sometimes perform exceptionally well under pressure.The new perspective therefore starts from a different question: How do we process the information we attend to? The authors propose that performance under pressure can be understood in terms of the complexity of information processing. People may process information according to simpler rules - for example, by combining fewer pieces of information or by controlling a movement as one integrated unit. Conversely, processing may become more complex when multiple pieces of information are combined or when individual movement components are controlled separately. Neither form of processing is inherently better.Neither simplification nor complexity is automatically better. What matters is whether the way information is processed fits the task and can be implemented reliably by the individual, explains Dr. Laura Voigt, researcher at the German Sport University Cologne and principal investigator of the project.A penalty kick provides a simple example. A player may rely on one piece of information provided by the coach. A more complex decision rule, by contrast, may integrate several sources of information - such as the goalkeepers position, movement, and known tendencies.The researchers use the term task-matched complexity to describe a level of information-processing complexity that is well matched to both the task and the individual. Pressure can alter this balance. Simplification may help when a person had previously been processing unnecessary information, but it can be detrimental if relevant information is discarded. Conversely, more complex processing can be beneficial when additional information is needed, but may impair performance if it introduces unnecessary or difficult-to-implement processing steps.The framework therefore offers a possible explanation for why both choking - a drop in performance under pressure - and exceptionally good performance may arise from changes in the same underlying process.New questions for researchThe publication is a theoretical article. The authors bring together existing empirical findings and theoretical perspectives and develop them into a new perspective for understanding performance under pressure. The predictions derived from this perspective now need to be tested empirically.In the longer term, the perspective also raises new questions for training and practice. Rather than generally advising athletes to think less under pressure or to consider as much information as possible, future research could focus more closely on which form of information processing is actually helpful in a given situation.Our approach makes it possible not only to investigate why performance breaks down under pressure, but also which forms of information processing may help people access their potential when it matters most, says Dr. Laura Voigt. Contact for scientific information: Dr. Laura VoigtInstitute of Psychology, Section Performance PsychologyPhone: +49 221 4982-5725Mail: l.voigt@dshs-koeln.de Original Publication: Voigt, L., Nieuwenhuys, A., Masters, R. S. W., & Raab, M. (2026). Beyond attention: performance pressure shifts information-processing complexity. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2026.09.008 Source: https://idw-online.de/de/news879178
