1. Social Facilitation and
Homefield Advantage
A2 PE

2. Key Terms Dominant Response Proximity Theory Evaluation Apprehension
Audience
Increased Arousal (Drive Theory)
Facilitation
Inhibition
Home Field Advantage

3. SOCIAL FACILITATION AND THE EFFECTS OF AN AUDIENCE
Think of a typical sporting situation and list the different groups/categories of people that are likely to be present.
Describe the effect that the presence of these people has upon the performer.
How might this affect the player’s performance?

4. Present others
Interactive others
Passive others
Co- active
Competitors
e.g.opponents
Emotive supporters
Co-actors
Non – threatening
Fellow performers
Audience
A passive,possibly silent but interested group

5. When an audience has a positive effect upon performance
It is called ‘SOCIAL FACILITATION’
It is likely to occur when:
The performer is an extrovert personality
The performer has reached the autonomous stage of learning
The task is simple and gross

6. When an audience has a negative effect upon performance it is called ‘ SOCIAL INHIBITION’
It is likely to occur when:
The performer is an introvert personality
The performer is in the cognitive or associative stage of learning
The task is complex with lots of decisions to make and information to process.

7. ZAJONC’S DRIVE THEORY OF SOCIAL FACILITATION
The mere presence of others, even passive others, is sufficient to raise arousal levels.
The Theory links to Hull’s Drive Theory suggests an increase in performance in line with an increase in arousal
When under stress we tend to revert to our dominant response
The dominant response is the behaviour most likely to occur when we are pressured
If the dominant response has been well learned (expert) performance will increase as arousal increases
Performance of a novice will not improve with higher arousal

8. P E R F O M A N C
AROUSAL

10. EVALUATION APPREHENSION
Cottrell questioned the belief that the mere presence of others raised arousal levels
He suggested the increased arousal levels would only occur if the performer perceived that the audience was judging the performance
If the audience are perceived to be knowledgeable about the activity this would increase arousal
This perception he called EVALUATION APPREHENSION

11. DISTRACTION/CONFLICT THEORY
Baron (1986) indicated that the performers attentional capacity explains social facilitation
Study of information processing models reveal that an individual can attend to a limited amount of environmental cues.
Baron proposed that spectators demand the same amount of attention as would data from the sports situation.
This added distraction is yet more competition for attentional space

12. HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE

13. HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE
Large supportive home crowds are believed to provide the home team with an advantage.
This phenomenon is most evident in indoor sports such as ice hockey and basketball.
The crowds in these situations are located close to the action
This theory is called the ‘proximity effect’.

15. Advantages of Homefield Advantage
More matches won at home
Olympic hosts tend to win more medals
Home teams tend to play more attacking
More fouls committed by away team

16. Disadvantages of Homefield Advantage
Pressure of playing at home may hinder performance
The more important the game, the greater the negative effect on the home team
Higher expectations from spectators and players

17. STRATEGIES TO COMBAT SOCIAL INHIBITION
Practise selective attention
Use cognitive visualisation techniques such as imagery and mental rehearsal
Over-learn essential skills so that dominant response is correct when arousal increases
Reduce the importance of the event
Simulate crowd noise
Raise performer’s awareness of the zone of optimum functioning.

18. Exam Questions
The effect of social facilitation is caused by others. Name the four categories of others.
How does evaluation apprehension differ from social facilitation?
Suggest three strategies a coach may employ to reduce the effect of social inhibition