Graduation Year
Summer 2013
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Economics
Reader 1
Janet Smith
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2013 Madison Friedman
Abstract
The productivity of individuals can be altered by cognitive environmental factors such as those that induce psychological pressure. The goal of this analysis is to determine the extent to which a selection of variables influences an individual’s perception of pressure and its subsequent effect on productivity. To do so, the performance of golfers under pressure on the PGA TOUR was proxied using the scrambling percentage statistic. Two regressions, one using data from players who were cut at the end of the second round and the other using data from players who were not cut at the end of the second round, were used to study how golfers’ scrambling percentage for a given round was influenced by changes in experience, time, rank, tournament prestige, and their expected future performance. An increase in variables representing tournament prestige, tournament round number, and player position on the leader board lead to an increase in pressure which in turn leads to poorer subsequent performance. On the other hand, an increase in player experience and the knowledge that a player would be cut at the end of the second round tend to decrease pressure and increase player performance.
Recommended Citation
Friedman, Madison, "Choking Under Pressure on the PGA Tour" (2013). CMC Senior Theses. 708.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/708
