Psychology ( Home Feild Advantage )

Question 1

Why does a ‘home field advantage ‘ improve performance ?

Answer 1

• Nations win more medals at their home Olympics
• E.g. Team gb won their most medals ever at the olympics in 2012
• Teams win more home games.
• This is because teams play more attacking tactics at home.
• The presence of a home crowds can increase levels of arousal to optimum
• This increases their performance
• Which is known as social facilitation;
• The home crowd can an increase the away teams arousal to past optimum.
• This causes a decrease in performance
• This is known as social inhibition.
• The home crowd causes cognitive anxiety
  for the away team
• E.g. they begin to doubt their own ability.
• The home crowd also increases somatic anxiety for the away team.
• This increases muscular tension which decreases muscular control
• E.g. a poor completed pass rate.

Question 2

Why does a ‘home field advantage ‘ decrease performance ?

Answer 2

• The home crowd places more pressure on the home team to win
• As a result the performers also place a greater pressure on themselves to win.
• This can cause the home team to suffer from evaluation apprehension as they feel they are being judged.
• This could increase arousal levels past
  optimum
• This decreases performance and is known as social inhibition.
• This increases cognitive & somatic anxiety for the home team
  which could Increase muscle tension
• decrease muscular control and decrease performance