audience effect in psychology

 

The audience effect is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when an individual's performance is influenced by the presence or perception of an audience. This effect is often seen in situations where individuals are performing in front of others, such as in public speaking, sports, or artistic performances.

The audience effect is a passive type of social facilitation. The positive effect appears to be seen when the person or people performing a task is already skilled at performing the task. Those who are not skilled can experience impaired performance. 

The audience effect has been attributed to several factors, including social facilitation (where the presence of others enhances performance) and evaluation apprehension (where individuals are concerned about being evaluated by others).

 Overall, the audience effect highlights the importance of understanding how social context can influence an individual's behavior.

 Reference:

 Zajonc, R. B. (1965). Social facilitation. Science, 149(3681), 269-274. doi: 10.1126/science.149.3681.269     A link to a pdf that worked in 2023.

Zajonc, R. B., & Sales, S. M. (1966). Social facilitation of dominant and subordinate responses. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2 (2), 160-168. Link to a pdf in 2023 at umich.edu.

 Related

The social facilitation effect

 

 

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

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