Social facilitation and inhibtiion

• Social inhibition

  A decrease in performance in front of a crowd
• Social facilitation

  Improved performance skills in the presence of others
• Zajonc's theory (BEDTOP)

  Social facilitation=positive, social inhibition=negative, others can be divided into 4 types:

  - audience- presence of others observing

  - co-actors- presence of other independently doing the same

  - competitive co-actors- individuals in direct competition

  - social reinforcement- those with a direct influence on the performer

  
• Evaluating apprehension

  The fear of being judged, not the mere presence of the situation, more likely to occur if:

  - family are watching

  - loss in confidence

  - influential observer
• How to prevent social inhibition


  Simulate effects of a crowd, mental rehearsal, attribute correctly, over learn to ensure dominant response, practise in front of people, increase self-efficacy, use selective attention to improve focus, imagery, positive self-talk.

  Coach could:

  • decrease importance of task
  • offer encouragement, +ve reinforcement and praise to performer to support them
  • slowly introduce evaluation in training
• Social facilitation


  The positive effect of the presence of others on performance
• Social inhibition


  The negative effect of the presence of others on performance
• BEDTOP acronym


  The behavioural effects due to the presence of others
• Audience


  Those who just watch the event
• Co-Actors


  Those who are doing the same task but are not involved in direct competition
• Competitive co-actors


  Those in direct competition with the performer e.g. opponents
• Social reinforcers


  Those who have a direct influence on the event e.g. a coach
• Evaluation apprehension


  The perceived fear of being judged which has a negative impact on performance
• Dominant response


  The stand-out response that the performer thinks is correct

  typically performers revert back to their dominant response when their arousal levels are heightened.
• What does Zajonc's model suggest?


  that 4 types of 'others' may be present during performance and these can be categorised as passive or interactive
• what are passive others?


  do not interact with the performer but have an effect by being present;

  1. audience - people just watching

  2. Co-actors - people who are performing the same skill at the same time but not against you
• what are interactive others?

  communicate directly with you and include;

  1. competitive co-actors - the opposition

  2. social reinforcers - crowd making noise.
• what are the likely effects of an audience?

  increase arousal levels. this will impact the performer differently depending on experience level , the skill being performed (eg. simple or complex,) and whether the skill is gross or fine (gross likely to be benefited)
• Factors affecting evaluation apprehension

  1. if the audience is knowledgable = more nervous

  2. if significant others are watching = more nervous

  3. if the performer naturally has high trait anxiety

  4. if the performer has low self-confidence

  5. if audience is supportive/abusive
• strategies to combat social inhibition


  1. familiarisation training - allow audience to watch when training

  2. Increase self-efficacy

  3. practice skill until they are grooved/overlearned

  4. use selective attention to improve focus

  
  

  other cognitive strategies;

  mental rehearsal, visualisation, imagery, positive self-talk

  
  

  coach could;

  decrease importance of the task, offer encouragement/reinforcement, slowly introduce evaluation in training
• Audience effects - performer will be facilitated ?

  • performer is an expert as they are used to performing in front of an audience
  • performing a simple skill which requires limited decision making/information processing
  • Performing a gross skill of large muscle groups that doesn't require precision or accuracy
• Audience effects - performer will be inhibited if ?

  • performer is a novice as they find performing in front of an audience intimidating
  • performing a complex skill as this requires several decisions to be made and lots of information processing which may not be carried out successfully at high arousal
  • performing a fine skill as it requires precision and accuracy which is difficult to maintain at high arousal
• Dominant response


  Drive theory explains the linear relationship between drive and performance. There is a strong link between drive theory and Zajonc's model. At heightened levels of arousal performers revert back to their dominant response. This is a well learned skill that performer will use when under competitive pressure.
• Dominant response - expert 


  If performer is an expert, they will have overlearned motor programmes stored in their long-term memory and their dominant response is likely to be performed correctly. Therefore, performance will be facillitated. If response is gross or simple it will be enhanced.
• Dominant response - novice?


  If performer is a novice they have not yet grooved their responses. Being under competitive pressure and in the presence of an audience means their performance will be inhibited. Fine or complex skills detoriate.
• Zajonc's model

  
• Social facilitation = positive influence of the presence of others on performance (enjoy performing with an audience as it motivates them so improves performance).
• Social inhibition = negative influence of the presence of others on performance (find it stressful to perform in front of audience so lose motivation as they cannot deal with the pressure of being watched).

   
• Zajonc’s model – Zajonc suggested 4 types of ‘others’ may be present during performance – can be categorised as passive or interactive.
• Passive others: Do not interact with the performer but have an effect by simply being present. These include:

  -        Audience: people present who do not speak but just watch, for example TV audience, silent observers during a tee-off in golf or a scout watching you perform. Their mere presence makes you anxious + can affect your performance.

  -        Co-actors: those who perform the same task at the same time but are not competing against you, for example seeing a cyclist in front and speeding up to overtake them, you win nothing by doing so but their presence has made you cycle faster.
• Interactive others: others communicate directly with performer and include:

  -        Competitive co-actors: opposition, for example other swimmers in a race who are in direct rivalry with the performer.

  -        Social reinforcers: the coach/crows, for example spectators at a rugby match cheer and applaud but may also shout abuse at performers so they give you the motivation to improve.
• Audience effects

  Even when passive others e.g. audience are present, the main effect on performer is increased arousal levels. Presence of audience had varied effects on performance, depending on skill classification and performers level of experience.
• Performance will be facilitated if performer is:

  o   An expert - used to performing in front of audience

  o   Performing simple skill – limited info processing + decision making

  o   Performing a gross skill that doesn’t require precision or accuracy

  They can cope with high levels of arousal, so performance improves with audience.
• Performance will be inhibited if performer is:

  o   A novice – audience is intimidating

  o   Performing a complex skill – several decisions to be made + lots of decision making – might not be carried out successfully at high arousal

  o   Performing a fine skill – precision and accuracy – difficult to maintain at high arousal

  Performer cannot cope with extra arousal due to audience to performance will deteriorate
• Dominant response

  Drive theory explains the linear relationship between drive and performance. Strong link between drive theory and Zajonc’s model.

  Other people cause a rise in arousal levels, which subsequently increases the chance of producing a dominant response. This is a well-learned skill that the performer will use when under competitive pressure.
• Dominant response - If the performer is an expert, they will have over-learned motor programmes stored in their long-term memory and their dominant response is likely to be performed correctly. Therefore, performance will be facilitated (if response is gross or simple, it will be enhanced).

  However, if performer is a novice, they have not yet grooved their responses. Being under competitive pressure and in presence of audience, their performance will be inhibited (fine or complex skills will deteriorate).
• Evaluation apprehension

  = the fear of being judged.

  The performer may not be actually being judged, but if they perceive they are then this will have an effect on performance.
• Factors causing evaluation apprehension:

  ·       If audience is knowledgeable, you will become increasingly nervous e.g. scout

  ·       If significant others such as parents/peers are present, +ve and -ve effects are seen based on tasks/performers

  ·       If audience is supportive/abusive, performance will be facilitated/inhibited

  ·       If the performer naturally has high trait anxiety, they will be inhibited by an audience

  ·       If performer has low-self efficacy – don’t believe in ability so will be inhibited

   
• Strategies to combat social inhibition

  ·       Familiarisation training – audience watches train/play crowd noise during training

  ·       Increase self-efficacy

  ·       Practice skills until they are grooved

  ·       Use selective attention to improve focus/concentration – block out crowd + focus on relevant stimuli

  Cognitive strategies:

  ·       Mental rehearsal – going over performance in mind maintains focus and lowers arousal levels

  ·       Imagery

  ·       Positive self-talk

  ·       Negative thought-stopping
• To combat social inhibition The coach could:

  ·       Decrease importance of task

  ·       Offer encouragement (+ve reinforcement and praise to support performer)

  ·       Slowly introduce evaluation into training