Social Facilitation / Inhibition

Question 1

Define Social Facilitation

Answer 1

The positive effects that an audience has on a performance

Question 2

Define Social Inhibition

Answer 2

The negative effects that an audience has on a performance

Question 3

What does the drive theory of social facilitation (zajonc) state?

Answer 3

The meer presence of others was sufficient to increase the arousal level of the performer

Question 4

What type of performer did Zajonc say gained the most from his drive theory of social facilitaiton, and why?

Answer 4

Autonomous performers

Because as arousal increases, it enhances the dominant response, so those who have a better dominant response (autonomous) will perform better

Question 5

Describe Evaluation Apprehension (Cotterell 1968)

Answer 5

He believed that the ‘meer presence’ was not enough to increase arousal
He said that the increase in arousal only occured if the perfromer percieved that the audience was judging or assessing
Can inhibit or facilitate the performance

Question 6

Describe the home advantage effect, and the proximity effect (Schwartz 1975)

Answer 6

Home advantage - team with many supporters have an advantage. This effect is stronger with the more people

Proximity - The location of an audience can facilitate or inhibit (gross skills = facilitate etc)

Question 7

Explain the Distraction-complex theory (Baron 1986)

Answer 7

Information proccessing suggests that attention can only be given to a set amount of cues at once
Suggested that audience can take up many cues
So simple skills are best with audiences (little attention needed)
Complex skills are worst with audiences (lots of attention needed)

Question 8

What type of performers are more likely to be effected negativily by evaluation apprehension?

Answer 8

Those with low self-esteem and confidence

Question 9

True of false? The effect of evaulation apprehension decreases when high status role models are present?

Answer 9

False - it increases

Question 10

What are some stratagies to combat the effect of social inhibition?

Answer 10

Mental imagry (increase concentration)
\+ve self talk
Practise in the presence of an audience
Overlearn skills
Educate the performer on the link between arousal and concentration