Leadership, Social Facilitation and Inhibition… Mr P. Leighton Group Dynamics of Performance Sports Psychology.

Today’s Session…  Look over Chellandurai’s work into leadership to start…  Discuss the theories associated with Social Facilitation and Social Inhibition- basically what makes us do what we do in sport!  Look over the key words from this area of study: Mastermind task…

Do we understand this?  Chellandurai recognised that 3 behaviour types can impact upon the leader… Actual Behaviour What the leader chooses to do as The best course of action in the Situation. Influenced by? Required Behaviour What ought to be done by the Leader in certain situations: Dictated by? Preferred Behaviour What the athletes want the leader To do. This is determined by?

The Leadership Scale for Sports… Category of Leadership Explanation Training and Instruction Behaviour Improving the performance of athletes through hard training and conditioning. Instruction is given on tactics and techniques… Example? Democratic Behaviour Leader allows group members to make decisions regarding strategies, practices and group goals. Autocratic Behaviour Task Centred: decisions are made by the leader without consultation of the group… Example? Social Support Behaviour Concerned with the welfare of the members. This is characterised by warm group/leader relations. Rewarding Behaviour Positive feedback rewards group and individual performance, reinforcement of group cohesion.

Young People in Sport…  Which leadership style/s do you think would satisfy youth in sport?  Conversely, which leadership style/s do you think would satisfy those training for… The Olympics (2012) The Olympics (2012) A Sunday league game A Sunday league game A Premier League Clash A Premier League Clash

Social Facilitation and Inhibition…  Example… Juggling/ Plate Spinning!  It is well documented that the presence of other CO-ACTORS or SPECTATORS can influence the performance of an individual.  Think about a time when you have been playing well/poorly and the presence of someone on the sideline/more people watching or a harder/easier opponent has changed the way you play.

Arousal…  An increase in arousal can have positive or negative influences on performance.  When arousal is positive, performance is enhanced and SOCIAL FACILITATION is said to have taken place.  When it is negative, SOCIAL INHIBITION is present.  The two theories that explain this are… Drive Theory of Social Facilitation. Drive Theory of Social Facilitation. (Zajonc, 1965) Evaluation Apprehension Theory. (Cottrell, 1968) Evaluation Apprehension Theory. (Cottrell, 1968)

Zajonc’s Model of Drive Theory and Social Facilitation… Present Others Passive Others Audience possibly Passive, silent But interested Co-actors, Non-threatening Fellow performers e.g. Training partner. Interactive Others Co-active competitors e.g. Opponents Emotive Supporters

The Model Explained…  Zajonc theorised that “passive others” are enough to increase our arousal levels. Drive Theory indicates that there is a relationship between arousal and performance… Zajonc proposed the presence of others in itself is arousing. Arousal enhances the production of our dominant responses as opposed to the subordinate responses. Actions that have already been learnt are termed “Learned responses” and are seen as Dominant responses- Fight or Flight?

Arousal: Beginners Vs. Elite…  High levels of arousal should benefit those at the autonomous stages of learning… why?  A: Dominant response should be towards the correct response.  Novices (associative or cognitive) showing a high level of arousal would have an inhibited performance due to their dominant behaviour being incorrect.

Continued…  Martens (1969) confirmed Zajonc’s research stating that the presence of an audience in beginners increases arousal and impairs learning of complex skills.  Landers and McCullage (1976) challenged Zajonc’s assumptions.  They stated that co-actors being present aids the learning of “Sports Skills” but co-actors need to be of “Slightly superior ability”.  Q: What can we assume then?  A: Presence of co-actors enhances learning of motor skills while the attention of an audience will inhibit learning.

Evaluation Apprehension…  Cottrell (1968) stated that others being there did not sufficiently arouse someone to allow social facilitation or inhibition.  He stated that arousal did only occur when the performer believed that the audience were assessing or judging them.  Evaluation Apprehension, however, does not take into account the need for evaluation in some performers to stimulate arousal.

The Home Advantage Effect…  Large supportive home crowds are believed to provide the home team with an advantage i.e. “the 12 th Man”.  It appears to be stronger, according to Nevill and Cann (1998) when the crowd is bigger.

Proximity Effect…  Schwartz (1975) proposed that the location of the audience in relationship to the performance was an important factor in social facilitation.  This is best seen in Basketball or Ice Hockey.  Schwartz stated that outcome is not dictated by the difficulty of the skill or the audience but the level of performer, personality and level of experience that are key.

Distraction-Conflict Theory…  Baron (1986) proposed that the limitations of the performers attention span can explain the effects on performance.  Information processing models indicate that attention can only be given to a set number of environmental cues.  Spectators require as much attention (to block out) as the actual sporting situation.  Simple tasks requiring little attention are performed best in front of an audience while under similar conditions actions would be impaired.

Strategies to combat the effects of Social Inhibition in practical activities…  Selective attention would narrow the focus of the performer to relevant cues.  Mental rehearsal and imagery could enhance concentration, help block out the audience which can be the source of inhibition i.e: BBC SPORT Football My Club Portsmouth James is boosted by psychologist.mht BBC SPORT Football My Club Portsmouth James is boosted by psychologist.mhtBBC SPORT Football My Club Portsmouth James is boosted by psychologist.mht  Positive self-talk to block out negativity.  Practice in front of an audience to get used to the effects supporters may have.  Rest on pg

Mastermind…  Look through your notes for the next 5 mins.  You are each going to prepare 5 questions for each other on the topics covered so far in the style of mastermind i.e. short answers!  Winner gets a prize!