Repetition anxiety

You see it in professional athletes all the time; they have a repetitive routine that they go through just before they perform. It is not only athletes though who use repetition. If you think about it you probably have a some little repetitive routines that you go through prior to doing certain tasks. Researchers have now highlighted the reasons why you do that.

Most human activities have what psychologists call “preparatory”, “functional”, and “confirmatory” phases. The functional aspect is the actions that have to be performed for the job to be done and will be roughly the same from person to person. However, the preparatory and confirmatory actions are not strictly required for the task but are discretionary.

During the study the researchers watched and analysed recordings of people performing a range of tasks. These included putting on a shirt, locking a car, or making coffee. As well, basketball players were watched while undertaking a “free throw”; a shot at the basket from the free throw line.

As the researchers note, all a basketball player has to do is throw the ball. So why do they ritualistically bounce the ball precisely six times? Why do golfers waggle the club four times each time they address the ball? The researchers say that the routine serves to focus concentration and help them control their actions. It also helps control stress and induce calm. In bigger contexts such ritualistic repetition can create belief that you are in control of a situation that is otherwise out of your hands. If players believe that their repetitive actions will enhance performance then they tend to be more successful.

Although the phenomenon is exaggerated in the sports context, similar repetitive behaviour can be employed by people trying to minimise anxiety in day to day situations. This is all fine until the behaviour crosses the line into compulsive. The issue of course, is how to differentiate normal repetitive behaviour from obsessive-compulsive behaviour. The researchers say that one marker of obsessive behaviour is more repetitive confirmatory activity, the behaviour that comes after the task has been completed. A common compulsive behaviour might be washing hands where there is no clear end to the action. People with compulsive disorders will commonly set themselves complicated routines so they often cannot trust that they have completed an action: cue Lady Macbeth.

So, repeatedly repeating repetition might ease your nerves but if you become reliant on repetitive repetition then , not to be repetitive, you might have a problem.