[University of California Santa Barbara’s Taraz Lee] was inspired by his background in sports, where he saw professional golfers who had the lead for 18 holes choke up on the easy shot that really mattered. His next research will look at instances like this, which he thinks are similar to the memory issue. “I want to know why it is that during the most important time, when it matters most to you and you’re trying,” Lee told Quartz, “that a task suddenly becomes harder.” The answer, he thinks, lies in our inability to sit back and let our subconscious do the driving during times of stress. “I wouldn’t tell someone not to pay attention,” Lee said, “but I would caution against over-thinking. If you’re well trained at something and really good at it, you might be better off just going for it.”
From Rachel Feltman. Read more at Want to remember something? Forget it – Quartz.