Choking under pressure in online and live esports competitions

Iuliia Naidenova, Petr Parshakov, Igor Tylkin and Gleb Vasiliev

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2024, vol. 227, issue C

Abstract: This paper explores the phenomenon of choking under pressure within the context of esports, particularly focusing on the difference between online and live competitive settings and on high-pressure situations during overtime rounds. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the research leverages an extensive dataset covering professional CS:GO matches from 2012 to 2022 (match-level) and from 2015 to 2023 (round-level), including performance metrics such as players' ratings, headshot percentages, and teammate damage. The findings indicate a substantial decrease in the performance of esports players during overtime. This effect, however, is significantly mitigated in online competitions compared to live events. The study also reveals that while individual performance suffers under pressure, the impact on team coordination is less pronounced in online settings, suggesting that the virtual environment might offer a buffer against the negative effects of stress on team dynamics. This study enriches our understanding of performance psychology in digital settings but also opens up new avenues for research on stress, teamwork, and performance in professional and virtual environments.

Keywords: Esports; Choking under pressure; Online and live competitions; CS:GO (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D91 Z20 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:227:y:2024:i:c:s0167268124003743

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2024.106760

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