Social facilitation It is January 2012 and you are about to sit your PSYB2 exam. The hall is very full. The invigilator offers you the chance to sit your exam alone in a separate room, if you want. Do you stay where you are?

Today’s session You will learn aboutContext Using psychology to analyse behaviour Using models and theories to predict and explain what people do Social facilitation Arousal and task performance Dominant and non- dominant responses

The evidence so far: Three studies of social facilitation: Triplett (1898) Zajonc et al (1969) Michaels et al (1982) What do these studies tell us about the effects of an audience/co-actors?

Physiological arousal How energised, alert or ready for action a person is

Arousal & task performance The Yerkes-Dodson curve What does this graph tell us about the relationship between a person’s level of arousal and their ability to do a task? arousal level performance

Dominant responses Dominant response Very well-learned & thoroughly practised ‘automatic’ behaviours More likely when a person is highly aroused/in a stressful situation Non- dominant response Less well learned behaviours, requiring more conscious control Less likely to occur in a state of high arousal/stressful situation

Can we use the idea of dominant and non- dominant responses to explain the findings of Zajonc et al (1969) and Michaels et al (1982)?

Dominant responses Zajonc et al (1969) With audience (high arousal/stress) the dominant response – going straight - is most likely. Performance is facilitated. The non-dominant response of turning a corner is less likely. Performance is inhibited.

Michaels et al (1982)Experts - dominant response is to pot balls. Audience increases arousal and makes this more likely. Novices – potting balls is non-dominant. It becomes less likely as arousal/stress levels increase with the audience.

Zajonc’s Theory Increased arousal makes it easier to do simple things (dominant responses) but harder to do complex things (non-dominant responses). Non-dominant responses require more focus to carry out. Too much arousal interferes with this

Why does the presence of others as audience/co-actors increase a person’s arousal level?

Two possible explanations Evaluation apprehension We get worried about how we appear to other people Distraction Other people distract us, which causes conflict/stress

Sources of Arousal 1. Read the explanations of why audiences increase arousal. Indicate whether the findings of three studies are consistent with the explanations. 2. Which of the explanations is the best? Explain your conclusions, using evidence to justify your decision

Social facilitation It is January 2012 and you are about to sit your PSYB2 exam. The hall is very full. The invigilator offers you the chance to sit your exam alone in a separate room, if you want. Do you stay where you are? Have you changed your mind? Why?