Social facilitation/inhibition

• Presence of an audience or co-actors


  • Increases arousal levels of performer
• Increased arousal


  Makes it more likely that performer's dominant response will occur
• If the skill is simple or done by an expert

  Dominant response will be correct and performance will improve
• If the skill is complex or done by a novice

  Dominant response is likely to be incorrect and performance will decline
• Factors affecting performance


  • Extroverts vs Introverts
  • Beginners vs Experts
  • Simple vs Complex skills
  • Gross vs Fine skills
• Extroverts


  seek social situations so perform better with audience due to high arousal in social situations
• Introverts


  Shy away from social situations due to high internal arousal
• Type A individuals (high anxiety)


  Perform less in presence of others compared to Type B (low anxiety)
• Experts


  Experience social facilitation due to well-learned and correct dominant responses stored in long-term memory, distractions less likely to interfere
• Previous experiences


  Affect future responses - if failed before may expect to fail again, or prior experience can remove threat of audience and improve performance
• Crowd's knowledge of sport

  Can increase evaluation apprehension or make performer feel supported
• Performing in front of people you know

  Can increase anxiety and hinder performance, but for an expert it could increase sense of pride and enhance performance
• Complex skills


  Require lower levels of arousal to optimise performance due to decision making and concentration required, so audience can distract
• Simple skills


  High levels of arousal created by others is beneficial and desirable to increase performance
• Gross skills


  High arousal levels in presence of others can increase performance (dynamic in nature and little perceptual processing)
• Fine skills


  Low arousal levels needed, audience could cause social inhibition if not managed
• Cottrell stated it's not just the presence of the audience or co-actors that raises arousal levels, their presence can also have a calming effect
• Arousal levels/anxiety increases


  Because performer perceives judgements by others, reducing confidence and negatively impacting performance
• Strategies to manage audience effects

  • Selective attention to relevant cues, not the audience
  • Mental rehearsal/imagery to block out audience
  • Practice in front of audience
  • Overlearn skills so they become dominant responses
  • Positive self-talk
  • Positive reinforcement/social support
  • Play down importance of event
  • Relaxation techniques like deep breathing
  • Thought-stopping (e.g. count to 10)
• Social facilitation


  The positive influence of others on sporting performance, such as an audience or other performers
• Social inhibition


  the negative influence of others who may be watching or competing, which leads to a decrease in sports performance
• Zajonc states- coactors increase arousal levels
• spectators= audience

  other performers= coactors
• Effects of social facilitation on:

  Personality- extrovert vs introvert

  Stage of Learning- beginner vs expert

  Classification of skill- simple vs complex and gross vs fine
• What is the final key term discussed in the study material?

  Evaluation Apprehension
• What does evaluation apprehension refer to in performers?

  It refers to a performer's anxiety increasing due to perceived judgment by others.
• How does evaluation apprehension affect a performer's confidence and performance?

  It reduces confidence, which negatively impacts performance.
• What are some scenarios that can lead to evaluation apprehension?

  Knowing someone in the crowd or having a coach or scout present.
• What strategies can performers use to manage evaluation apprehension?

  • Focus on the task rather than the audience
  • Use relaxation techniques
  • Visualize successful performance
  • Develop a pre-performance routine