"the performance of A, B, and C *is* studied" vs "... *are* studied"?

I generally pride myself on having the solutions to grammar questions like this one, but I can't figure out what is right.

I am writing a sentence about evaluating three different options for some task:

"In this chapter, the performance of the first choice, second choice, and third choice __ studied."

Should "is" or "are" fill in that blank?

Now, clearly the subject of the verb is "the performance." The different options are objects of the preposition "of." By that logic, "the performance...is studied" makes sense.

Nevertheless, saying out loud: "the performance of the first choice, second choice, and third choice is studied," just doesn't sound right to me.

What's the correct solution here?

Solution 1:

What is wrong is performance in the singular. Each choice has its own performance:

In this chapter, the performances of the first choice, second choice, and third choice are studied.

If you meant that the choices combined have one collective performance, then:

In this chapter, the performance of the first, second, and third choices is studied.