Does confidence enhance performance? Causal evidence from professional biathlon

Arbeitspapier

We analyze the effect of self-confidence on performance using data from top-level profes- sional biathlon competitions. Biathlon combines two independent tasks: cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. We exploit this dual nature of the sport by using weather conditions af- fecting performance on the skiing track as exogenous variation in confidence on the shooting range. Using round-level data on 254 competitions between 2009 and 2013, we show that the less confident athletes are, the worse their performance is on the shooting range. In particular, we estimate an increase of 0.525 standard deviations in missed shots for every standard deviation increase in our inverse self-confidence measure. Effects for women are estimated to be generally smaller in magnitude and less robust.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Working Paper ; No. 1718

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
• Subject: Self-confidence ; performance ; biathlon ; sports economics

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Voigt, Jasmin ; Ahammer, Alexander ; Lackner, Mario
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Department of Economics
• (where): Linz
• (when): 2017

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/183256
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET