Error Amnesia and the 4C's of Errors About this eventErrors are inevitable in sport. Yet while a vast literature has examined how psychological pressure impairs performance, surprisingly little attention has been paid to what happens after an error occurs. Drawing on Attentional Control Theory: Sport (ACTS; Eysenck & Wilson, 2016), this keynote presents a programme of research examining how errors compound under pressure and why some performers recover quickly while others spiral into deepening performance crises. Professor Wilson will introduce the “4C’s” framework — Contagion, Chains, Compounding, and Cascades — as a taxonomy for distinguishing the related but distinct ways errors propagate through performance sequences.Professor Wilson introduces the concept of error amnesia — a positive cognitive bias whereby successful performers rapidly disengage from failure cues, preventing errors from feeding the threat appraisal cycle that drives anxiety and further breakdown. To measure individual differences, he will present the Error Amnesia Scale (EAS), a brief measure assessing cognitive recovery, emotional equilibrium and performance continuity under threat. He will conclude by discussing how these findings can inform coaching practice, talent identification and the development of psychological resilience training in elite sport.About the speakerProfessor Wilson is a professor of psychology with both applied and theoretical interests in understanding the cognitive and emotional processes that underpin skill acquisition and performance under pressure. He has published over 170 research articles on these topics, supervised 20 PhD students to completion, attracted funding from a wide range of sources across UKRI, industry, and charities, and works as an applied psychologist in elite sport.He joined Sport and Health Sciences in 2006, was promoted to chair in 2017, and served as director of research (2018–2020) and head of department (2020–2022). He is currently head of the Department of Public Health and Sports Sciences, one of three departments within the Medical School at the University of Exeter.How to joinThis event will take place in a hybrid format.MS Teams login details will be sent to you in an auto-generated confirmation message from Eventbrite upon completion of your registration. Please contact MHSES-REI-Events@ed.ac.uk if you do not receive this message.For any enquiries, please contact us at MHSES-REI-Events@ed.ac.uk. Tags Sport Research centres, groups and networks Research events Conferences, seminars and lectures May 13 2026 15.00 - 16.00 Error Amnesia and the 4C's of Errors This public lecture will be delivered by Professor Mark Wilson, head of Public Health and Sport Sciences at The University of Exeter. Hosted by the Sport Related Research Hub at Moray House School of Education and Sport, it is part of the Stewart Alan Robertson Lecture Series funded by the Robertson Endowment. 2.35 Edinburgh Futures Institute and (online) on MS Teams Register on Eventbrite
Error Amnesia and the 4C's of Errors About this eventErrors are inevitable in sport. Yet while a vast literature has examined how psychological pressure impairs performance, surprisingly little attention has been paid to what happens after an error occurs. Drawing on Attentional Control Theory: Sport (ACTS; Eysenck & Wilson, 2016), this keynote presents a programme of research examining how errors compound under pressure and why some performers recover quickly while others spiral into deepening performance crises. Professor Wilson will introduce the “4C’s” framework — Contagion, Chains, Compounding, and Cascades — as a taxonomy for distinguishing the related but distinct ways errors propagate through performance sequences.Professor Wilson introduces the concept of error amnesia — a positive cognitive bias whereby successful performers rapidly disengage from failure cues, preventing errors from feeding the threat appraisal cycle that drives anxiety and further breakdown. To measure individual differences, he will present the Error Amnesia Scale (EAS), a brief measure assessing cognitive recovery, emotional equilibrium and performance continuity under threat. He will conclude by discussing how these findings can inform coaching practice, talent identification and the development of psychological resilience training in elite sport.About the speakerProfessor Wilson is a professor of psychology with both applied and theoretical interests in understanding the cognitive and emotional processes that underpin skill acquisition and performance under pressure. He has published over 170 research articles on these topics, supervised 20 PhD students to completion, attracted funding from a wide range of sources across UKRI, industry, and charities, and works as an applied psychologist in elite sport.He joined Sport and Health Sciences in 2006, was promoted to chair in 2017, and served as director of research (2018–2020) and head of department (2020–2022). He is currently head of the Department of Public Health and Sports Sciences, one of three departments within the Medical School at the University of Exeter.How to joinThis event will take place in a hybrid format.MS Teams login details will be sent to you in an auto-generated confirmation message from Eventbrite upon completion of your registration. Please contact MHSES-REI-Events@ed.ac.uk if you do not receive this message.For any enquiries, please contact us at MHSES-REI-Events@ed.ac.uk. Tags Sport Research centres, groups and networks Research events Conferences, seminars and lectures May 13 2026 15.00 - 16.00 Error Amnesia and the 4C's of Errors This public lecture will be delivered by Professor Mark Wilson, head of Public Health and Sport Sciences at The University of Exeter. Hosted by the Sport Related Research Hub at Moray House School of Education and Sport, it is part of the Stewart Alan Robertson Lecture Series funded by the Robertson Endowment. 2.35 Edinburgh Futures Institute and (online) on MS Teams Register on Eventbrite
May 13 2026 15.00 - 16.00 Error Amnesia and the 4C's of Errors This public lecture will be delivered by Professor Mark Wilson, head of Public Health and Sport Sciences at The University of Exeter. Hosted by the Sport Related Research Hub at Moray House School of Education and Sport, it is part of the Stewart Alan Robertson Lecture Series funded by the Robertson Endowment.
