Social facilitation and inhibition Flashcards
Define social inhibition
The negative effect of the presence of others on performance
Define social facilitation
The positive effect of the presence of othersm on performance
What are passive others?
Passive others do not interact with the performer, but have an effect by simply being present
What are the 2 types of passive others?
Audience
- People present who do not speak but just watch, there presence may put you off
Co-actors
- Are doing the same thing as the performer at the same time but might not be in competition
What are examples of audience?
TV audience, silent observer during golf tee-off
What are examples of co-actors?
A jogger on the opposite side of the road or cyclist in front of you - try to overtake even though you win nothing
What are interactive others?
Interactive others communicate directly with the performer
What are the 2 types of interactive other?
Competitors/competitive co-actors
- In direct competition with them, such as your opposition
Social reinforcers
- People who have a direct influence on the performance
What is an example of a competitor?
Swimmer in the lane next to you
What is an example of a social reinforcer?
Your coach or the crowd
What happens to a cognitive performer when being watched?
Experience anxiety
Over-arousal
Unable to cope with pressure
Poor execution of skills
Social inhibition
What happens to a autonomous performer when being watched?
Cope with the crowd
Motivated/encouraged by support
Skill performance is enhanced
Social facilitation
What happens if a performer is being watched whilst completing a simple skill?
Presence of other can help motivate the performer to keep going or try harder
What happens if a performer is being watched whilst completing a complex skill?
Presence of others can have a negative effect - due to the large amounts of information needing to be processed under stress
What happens to information processing if a performer is being watched whilst completing a simple skill?
Not much information to process - limited decisions to be made, can perform under higher levels of arousal
What happens to information processing if a performer is being watched whilst completing a complex skill?
This will increase arousal levels meaning information processing decreases
What are strategies a coach could use to reduce the negative effects of an audience on performance?
- Train in front of others
- Improve selective attention and cut out the effect of the audience
- Reduce the importance of the event
- Avoid social comparison with others
- Encourage team mates to be supportive
- Mental rehearsal/imagery/visualisation
- Ensure skills are over-learned
