While under pressure those most likely to succeed will most likely fail

New research published in the latest issue of Psychological Science finds that individuals higher in working memory capacity (HWM) are more likely to be negatively impacted by performance pressure on math tests than those lower in working memory capacity (LWM). Working memory is a short-term system that holds information relevant to performance and ensures task focus. HWMs have superior attentional allocation capacities– more resources, which they use on a regular basis. “However, if this attention capacity is compromised, e.g. by worries about the situation and its consequences, high working memory individuals’ advantage disappears,” the authors explain. Under low-pressure conditions, HWMs outperform LWMs. However, when the pressure is on, HWMs failed, while LWMs performance did not deviate from their, albeit lower, scores.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 8 Feb 2005
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