Audience lesson summary

Social Facilitation is when an audience has a positive effect on performance
Social Inhibition is when an audience has a negative effect on performance

Zajonc's theory is based on Drive theory. It is suggested there are 2 types of others present: Passive & Interactive others
Interactive others are Competitive Co-actors (opponents) & Social Reinforcers (usually a coach). These people are always there & therefore have no 'audience' effect
Passive others are Audience (spectators) & Co-actors (fellow performers who are present - e.g. on next pitch / court). These people are not always there and so when they are can have an 'audience' effect.
This is where Drive theory kicks in...
Passive others being present leads to Increased Arousal which leads to Dominant Response taking over. This means an Expert (with a well-learned DR) will perform better (social facilitation) & a novice (with a weak DR) will perform worse (social inhibition)
Complex tasks are more likely to suffer social inhibition, whereas gross, simple tasks are likely to see social facilitation.

Evaluation Apprehension occurs when a performer feels they are being JUDGED by audience members. This could be a scout, coach, parents etc.
Distraction Conflict is when the audience distracts the performer's attention from their performance

Research suggest there IS a Home Advantage - teams win more at home than losing or drawing. This is attributed to the support of the audience improving attacking play and physical skills, whereas away teams commit more fouls. The size, hostility & proximity (closeness) of the crowd can influence this effect. This advantage happens in earlier rounds of competition, however, in later rounds or finals, there is more likely to be a home DISadvantage, due to more pressure from the home crowd.

A coach can help their performers cope with an audience by: using selective attention to block out the crowd; over learn skills; use stress management & imagery; practising with an audience; setting performance goals & reduce the importance of the event.