the audience effect

The audience effect

• refers to changes in a person performance when they are observed by others

KEY CONCEPTS

• social facilitation

• Social inhibition

Social facilitation

• improved performance on simple/ well-learned tasks in the presence of others

• Eg: athletes perform better in front of cheering crowd

Social inhibition

• decreased performance on complex or new tasks when being observed

• Eg: a student struggling with a difficult problem during a public demonstration

Theories behind the audience effect

• drive theory - presence of others increases arousal, which enhances performance on simple task BUT impairs performance on complex tasks

• Evaluation apprehension - concern about being judged others can increase arousla and impact performance

Factors influencing audience effect

• task complexity - simple vs complex

• Audience characteristics - size, familiarity and perceived expertise

• Individual differences - personality traits, experience and confidence levels

Managing audience effect

• practice - repeated exposure to performing in front of others

• Visualisation - imagine success

• Relation techniques - deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation