​

Welcome to my monthly Science Digest.
​
This month we're going deep on self-control, expectations, and training. We'll start with the most fascinating study of the bunch...where a group of researchers gave participants magic mushrooms and observed them for hours at a party...Except it was a placebo, not a real psychadelic. Did they act different? Read on to see.

As always, these monthly digest pull from the most interesting research I've come across and are designed to keep you informed, and provide some actionable insight.

-Steve

P.S. I just went on one of the largest podcasts in the world: the Mel Robbins podcast. It was a wonderful conversation on resilience and mental strength. Give it a listen on wherever you listen to podcasts, or watch it on YouTube.

And...if you haven't checked out my latest book WIN THE INSIDE GAME, what are you doing? Grab a copy. If you enjoy this newsletter, you'll love the book. It's all about courage and getting the most out of ourselves, regardless of what we face. It's 25% off​

-Steve​

P.S. I finally joined Substack. If you'd like to go deep with some articles, check it out. I just released an article on why The Secret for Resilient Teams and Organizations.

​

​Expectations Can Make Us Feel Like We're Tripping on Drugs​

What they found: This isn't about some woo-woo magic; it's about the very real, very potent impact of your environment and what you expect to happen. This study pulls back the curtain on how much our subjective reality can be shaped without any actual drug. They put 33 students in a tricked-out room designed like a psychedelic party – music, lights, visuals, the works. Gave them a placebo pill, told them it was a fast-acting psychedelic, and even had confederates subtly acting out the supposed "effects." The kicker? A massive 61% of these participants reported some effect, with some even hitting experiences typically seen with high doses of actual psilocybin. We're talking paintings "moving" and "reshaping," feelings of intense gravity, or even a "come down" followed by another "wave." This isn't just about drugs; it's a stark reminder that your brain is a powerful prediction machine, and the environment you create—and the expectations you set—can literally rewrite your experience.

Actionable Insights:

1. The "Set and Setting" of Performance is Paramount. We often focus solely on physical training or tactical drills. But this study shows that the context – the "set and setting" – can generate profound effects, even without a pharmacological agent. For competition, this means meticulously curating the environment, both physically and mentally. What music are you listening to before the big game? What visuals are in your locker room or on your training walls? How is the atmosphere in your team huddle? These seemingly minor details are actually major levers for priming your mindset. Just as a "psychedelic party" setting induced powerful placebo effects, a high-performance environment, steeped in cues of confidence and readiness, can literally shift your internal state and elevate your game. Don't just show up and compete; create the environment that triggers peak performance.
2. Expectation isn't Just Hope; It's a Performance Catalyst. The participants were told they were taking a psilocybin-like drug, and this expectation alone induced strong, drug-like effects in many. Think about that. Their belief created their reality. In competition, your expectation isn't just a fluffy feel-good. It's a physiological trigger. If you expect to buckle under pressure, to feel fatigued, or to miss that critical shot, you're literally programming your body to manifest those outcomes. Conversely, by cultivating a deep, unwavering expectation of success, of resilience, or of performing when it matters most, you are actively wiring your nervous system for that outcome. It's not magic, it's neuroscience: "Expectations and context likely remain important."
3. Leverage Social Modeling: Surround Yourself with the Right "Vibe." The researchers deliberately used "confederates" to subtly act out the supposed drug effects, promoting "emotional contagion" and "social modelling." And it worked. Witnessing others "experiencing effects... makes participants more likely to experience them." This is huge for competition. If your teammates, coaches, or even your training partners are radiating confidence, calm under pressure, or relentless drive, it's contagious. You're not just observing; you're learning and mirroring those states. Conversely, if you're surrounded by negativity, anxiety, or a defeatist attitude, that too will spread. Choose your competitive circle wisely. Be the one who "acts out" the winning mindset, and you'll elevate everyone around you. As the study suggests, a "placebo contact high" can be consciously promoted.

.

​Self-Control is Influenced by our Culture and Upbringing​

What they found: Self-regulation isn't some universal, one-size-fits-all skill that develops linearly. It's deeply, fundamentally shaped by your culture, your upbringing, your education, and even the stress in your environment. They're telling us that the "how" and "why" of controlling impulses, staying focused on a goal, and adapting on the fly look wildly different across the globe. Things like parenting styles, access to quality schooling, and exposure to adversity aren't just background noise; they're active architects of your self-control.

Children learn to regulate their behavior based on societal expectations and their motivation to conform to those norms. For example, in a delay of gratification task, Japanese children waited significantly longer for food rewards than for gifts, while American children showed the opposite pattern. This is because waiting to eat is emphasized more in Japanese customs, while waiting to open gifts is more prominent in U.S. customs, showcasing how cultural habits influence the expression of self-regulation.

Actionable Insights:

• Your Control is Culturally Wired. Forget "one best way" to self-regulate. How you learn to control your impulses and focus under pressure is deeply ingrained in your upbringing and environment. Different cultures, different controls.
• Adversity Can Forge a Unique Edge. Don't just see tough environments as deficits. This research suggests that navigating "stressful and challenging conditions" can actually "improve learning, attention, perception, memory, creativity, and problem solving". Hardship isn't always a hinderance; it can be a crucible for a unique competitive strength.
• "Good Parenting" Isn't Universal – But Support Is. Authoritarian parenting, often seen as detrimental in Western contexts, can lead to greater self-regulatory capacities in some non-Western cultures. The lesson? It's not about a single "style," but consistent, nurturing support and clear expectations adapted to your specific context. That's the real universal.
• Play Isn't Just Fun; It's Practice for Pressure. The study highlights how "symbolic play" helps children "strengthen self-regulatory skills" and learn about "rules and roles". For competitors, this is your reminder: unstructured, creative engagement, even seemingly "unproductive" activities, can be crucial for developing the flexible decision-making and impulse control needed in high-stakes moments

​

​The Marshmallow Test Revisited: The Impact of the Group​

What they found: You've probably heard of the marshmallow test. If kids can resist eating a treat, it predicts some future outcomes. This study added a twist. i They put 5- to 6-year-old UK kids in an online version of the marshmallow test, but with a twist: it was interdependent. Meaning, both the participant and a confederate child (who was actually a pre-recorded video) had to wait for their treat to get a bigger reward.

The crucial variable? The confederate either promised not to eat his treat or just expressed uncertainty ("I think I will eat this cookie"). The results are clear: kids who heard the promise waited significantly longer and were more successful at delaying gratification. This wasn't just about individual willpower; it was about the power of an explicit commitment in a cooperative setting. Even online, even with one-way communication, a promise sparked enough trust and motivation to make a real difference. This tells us that when stakes are shared, and reliability is signaled, humans are wired to go the extra mile.

• Promises Aren't Just Words; They're Performance Fuel. This study shows that a clear, explicit promise from a partner drastically increases a child's willingness to delay gratification and cooperate. In a competitive team setting, clear commitments aren't just polite; they're critical motivators. When teammates explicitly promise to execute their role, hold their line, or push to the finish, it instills trust and boosts collective effort. Don't just expect cooperation; promise it.
• Uncertainty Kills Collective Effort. The kids who heard "I think I will eat this cookie" from their partner waited significantly less. That ambiguity, that social risk, sabotaged their motivation. In competition, fuzziness about roles, commitment, or strategy is a silent killer. If there's any "I think I might" floating around the team, it creates doubt and pulls down shared performance. Clarity and certainty are your allies; eliminate the "maybes" from your team's playbook
• Younger Minds Trust Promises More – What About Your Team? Interestingly, younger children were more swayed by the promise to wait the entire time, suggesting a "naïve understanding of—and trust in—explicit social commitments." Older kids, having encountered more broken promises, were less impacted. Think about the dynamics in your team: Are new team members more susceptible to explicit promises? Are veterans more cynical? Understanding this age-related trust curve can help you tailor your leadership and communication.
• Interdependence Demands Explicit Reliability. The core setup here was interdependent: neither child got the bigger reward unless both waited. When outcomes are linked, signaling reliability (via a promise) becomes paramount. In any competitive scenario where success hinges on multiple people doing their part, explicit commitments are vital. Don't leave your shared success to implicit assumptions; build it on clear, communicated reliability.

​How do the Best Train? Research Across Sports.​

What they found: In this fascinating study, they surveyed elite Norwegian coaches across a wide range of endurance sports to see what they were actually doing on the track or course. The big takeaway? Forget rigid, one-size-fits-all training plans. While they all lean on traditional periodization (gradually shifting from high volume/low intensity to more race-specific work as competition nears ), the real magic is their pragmatism. They constantly adjust based on real-world constraints: competition schedules, altitude camps, fluctuations in training load balance, and more. It's a blend of systematic planning and real-time, athlete-centered adaptation, driven by a constant dialogue and objective data.

Actionable Insights:

• Periodize Smart, Not Rigid: The "Pragmatic" Playbook. The best coaches don't just follow a textbook periodization model; they adapt it on the fly. Your competition schedule, travel, even unexpected life events—they all dictate how you structure training. It's about being strategic and flexible, not dogmatic
• Go Easy (A Lot) to Go Hard (When It Counts). Elite endurance isn't built on daily gut-busting efforts. These coaches preach massive volumes of low-intensity training (80-90%) with just 2-3 "key workout" days of high-intensity sessions per week. Don't confuse constant fatigue with progress; prioritize recovery so you can truly crush those critical sessions.
• The Coach-Athlete Feedback Loop is Gold. Success at the highest level isn't just a coach barking orders. It's a "close dialogue" and a "systematic approach" integrating objective data (like heart rate and lactate) with the athlete's subjective feedback. Trust, mutual understanding, and continuous learning are built on this constant back-and-forth. This isn't just coaching; it's a partnership.

​

The Brain Under Pressure

What They Found: They hooked up 31 healthy adults to EEG and heart rate monitors, put them through a mental arithmetic gauntlet, and then dug into the data. The big takeaway? Your brain and body don't just "feel" stress; they show it in predictable patterns. When the task gets harder, when you make more mistakes, or when your heart rate spikes, specific brainwave frequencies (like theta and alpha) change in distinct ways across different parts of your brain. They even found differences in how men and women respond, with women showing a significant heart rate decrease as they adapted, while men's stayed flat.

This research tells us that stress leaves a signature, and by understanding that signature, we can potentially detect stress objectively, intervene early, and even train our brains to handle pressure better.

Actionable Insights:

• Stress Has a Brain Signature: Your Mind Under Pressure Isn't Guessing. Forget just feeling stressed. This research shows that mental stress lights up your brain in predictable patterns, particularly in your frontal lobe activity. When the pressure mounts, your brainwaves (theta, alpha, beta, gamma) shift in detectable ways. This means stress isn't just a subjective experience; it's a measurable physiological state that impacts your cognitive performance.
• Practice Doesn't Just Make Perfect, It Makes Your Brain More Efficient. As participants practiced the math tasks, their stress levels decreased, and their error rates dropped, with corresponding changes in brain activity. This suggests that repeated exposure to challenging situations, even stressful ones, helps your brain adapt and become more efficient. So, don't just train; practice performing under pressure. The more you do it, the more your brain learns to handle the load and perform better.
• Mind-Body Connection is Real: Your Heart and Brain Are Chasing Each Other. The study found a "significant positive correlation between HR and the activity in the frontocentral A, D and T bands and a negative correlation with the frontal left B and fronto-central G power." Your racing heart isn't just a symptom of stress; it's linked to specific brainwave patterns tied to performance and error. This highlights the undeniable link between your physiological state and your cognitive function under pressure. Control one, influence the other.

​

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my random musings on the latest science and research. Expect more of the same every month.

And as a reminder, don't forget to order WIN THE INSIDE GAME! It's 20% off!

Order the book today: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org​

All the best,

​Steve​

Keep the conversation going! Did you know I recently upped my Instagram game. I've gone from 70k followers to 140k in the past 4 months because I've dedicated myself to doing a deep dive on a new performance topic every day on the platform. Check it out.​
​

​