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How to stay calm under pressure - Noa Kageyama and Pen-Pen Chen

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TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Your favorite athlete closes in for a win; the crowd holds its breath, and at the crucial moment ... she misses the shot. That competitor just experienced the phenomenon known as “choking,” where despite months, even years, of practice, a person fails right when it matters most. Why does this happen, and what can we do to avoid it? Noa Kageyama and Pen-Pen Chen explain why we choke under pressure.

Knowing what you know now about why people “choke,” how might that change the way you watch your favorite athletes or musicians the next time you see them in action? What advice might you be able to give them?

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About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Noa Kageyama, Pen-Pen Chen
  • Director Olesya Shchukina
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Animator Olesya Shchukina
  • Designer Olesya Shchukina
  • Storyboard Artist Olesya Shchukina
  • Composer Stephen LaRosa
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott, Elizabeth Cox
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
  • Fact-Checker Francisco Diez

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