Sports Psychology - Social Facilitation

Question 1

Describe what is meant by social facilitation

Answer 1

Social facilitation is the positive influence of others on sports performance

Question 2

Describe what is meant by social inhibition

Answer 2

Social inhibition is the negative influence of others on sports performance

Question 3

Describe what is meant by evaluation apprehension

Answer 3

Evaluation apprehension relates to the negative effects of an audience on performing due to a perception by the performer that they are evaluating or judging them

Question 4

Describe the effects of social facilitation on Home/Away

Answer 4

Home/Away:
- Home team - audience are closer, large numbers = inhibition as they can put more pressure on the performer. However can be more supportive = facilitation

Question 5

Describe the effects of social facilitation on the following factors:
- Other

Answer 5

Other:
- Nature of audience - if noisy / competitive / closer or hostile it can cause higher anxiety in performer

Question 6

Describe the effects of social facilitation on the following factors:
- Type of skill/activity

Answer 6

Type of skill / activity
- simple or gross skill - audience - facilitative as higher arousal
- complex or fine - audience - inhibitive as require lower levels of arousal

Question 7

Describe the effects of social facilitation on the following factors:
- Personality

Answer 7

Personality:
- Type A / introverts - audience = inhibition
- Type B / extroverts - audience = facilitation as they perform beer with higher levels of arousal

Question 8

Describe the effects of social facilitation on the following factors:
- Level of experience

Answer 8

Level of experience
- Previous experiences in front of an audience can affect future responses
- Elite / highly skilled - audience = facilitation
- Beginners - audience = inhibition
- crowds knowledge of sport can increase evaluation apprehension
- performing in front of people you know can increase anxiety, and therefore make the audience inhibitive

Question 9

Describe the strategies you can use to minimise social inhibition

Answer 9

• Train with an audience present
• Improve selective attention so can ignore audience
• Employ stress management techniques to reduce arousal
• Decrease the importance of the event
• Get support from other team members