Modern psychological science highlights such an interesting phenomenon as social facilitation. This term was introduced at the beginning of the last century by scientists N. Triplet and F. Allport. They once developed a whole concept that allows you to understand why a person, being in a group of certain people, acts in one way or another. It turns out that many behaviors depend on such things as temperament, the tendency to communicate, the habit of isolation.
The main factors of social facilitation are a pronounced desire to create a positive impression of oneself, to receive approval from society. A person whose life takes place within the framework of social norms and orders will strive with all his might to comply with the duties assigned to him. He will try to live up to the expectations of colleagues andsuperiors even when it is inconvenient and does not bring joy to his own personality.
The essence of the concept
Social facilitation is a mechanism of individual behavior when it has the ability to act quite successfully and make the right decisions in the environment of society. If a person is left alone with himself, then some tasks of the same level of complexity are perceived by him as more difficult. That is, the effect of social support and approval comes into play. To one degree or another, it is important for all of us to be noticed and heard by society. No one strives to live so independently that no social attitudes and stereotypes concern him. We are more inclined to listen to the opinion of the majority and draw our own conclusions from this.
Social facilitation in psychology is a rather subtle and individual phenomenon. Each person will be affected differently by the absence or presence of support from society. Someone prefers to work alone, and he is disturbed by people constantly scurrying back and forth. There are people who do not like to listen to instructions, they rely only on their own knowledge, skills and preferences. It is important for another to feel interaction with colleagues and colleagues throughout the entire period of work. Although this will not significantly help in the work, the main thing is that the person is not alone. In other words, the phenomenon of social facilitation is that a person feels more confident when hissomeone is interested in the activity and supports it.
Positive expectation phenomenon
The effect of social facilitation is closely related to what a person expects from society, how much she is oriented to his opinion in general. When the surrounding people tend to encourage a person, support him in many endeavors, then the individual himself feels that it is much easier and easier for him to carry out his daily tasks. The phenomenon of positive expectation suggests that a person will try to make a positive impression on the people around him in order to receive all kinds of benefits. When a person feels demanded and accepted in society, it becomes much easier for him to perceive himself and strive for any goals. Social facilitation in psychology is a concept that determines the degree of success of a person in a particular situation. Each of us throughout life strives to create the most comfortable conditions around us.
Social inhibition
This is an inverse phenomenon that occurs when, at the moment of interaction with society while performing a specific task, a person feels lost and unsure of himself. Anxiety grows, there is a fear of doing something wrong, making a mistake. Such a phenomenon is actually not uncommon. For people whose inner world is distinguished by a special individuality, it is extremely important to feed on their own energy, while someone else's can harm and interfere.
Phenomena of social facilitation and inhibition - phenomenaopposite, but at the same time are closely related to each other. If the first concept implies involvement in public life, then the second most often demonstrates some freedom from social interaction in general. Such a life is lived by creative people: writers, musicians, artists. Social facilitation and inhibition are two opposite poles. If it is important and meaningful for a person to work individually, then all sorts of interventions and tips from other people can cause him considerable irritation and dissatisfaction. Social inhibition suggests that individuals are better guided by their own opinions, attitudes and motives. The presence of other people at the time of work activity can only harm. Labor productivity will not only deteriorate, it will not reflect the degree of talent of the individual.
Power of psychological pressure
We all live in a society that cannot but have a significant impact on us. For the most part, people do not act as they really want, but as circumstances require. The strength of the psychological impact of society on the individual is so great that sometimes he fails to recognize his own desires and motives.
The phenomenon of social facilitation is of great importance here. For some people, it is important to feel supported by their immediate environment. It is by enlisting such moral support that they can perform their work more efficiently and fully. If suchleave a person alone with a difficult task, then he, of course, will cope with it. However, he will need more time to understand the essence of the problem, to resolve all emerging issues.
Loneliness Phenomenon
When a person relies only on himself, he gets used to acting alone. Gradually, the presence of a number of colleagues and the closest environment can greatly affect the performance. Such a person gets used to concentrating as much as possible on work and is not distracted by trifles. Demandingness to oneself increases, strict discipline and responsibility are developed.
Evaluation Phenomenon
Being in society, a person tends in most cases to obey the laws existing in it. In this case, the evaluation effect is triggered. The personality begins to think about how other people will perceive it, what opinion they will have as a result of certain actions, deeds. Social facilitation in this particular case manifests itself as the expected praise or blame, as a result of which the productivity of the activities performed increases significantly.
Publicity effect
A person who lives in society always strives to make a good, positive impression on others. We sometimes cannot make decisions on our own in the sense that we constantly look back at the opinion of the majority. The effect of social facilitation makes you follow social guidelines and focus on his needs. So it turns out that a person begins to live by the requirements of society, forgetting about his ownneeds. This is how internal dissatisfaction is born, a feeling of loss and personal unfulfillment.
The effect of publicity finds expression in the fact that, being in society, a person begins to act in accordance with the expectations placed on her. She does not do anything extra, but behaves adequately enough for each specific situation.
Extroverts and introverts
People need society to varying degrees. If extroverts can't live without social interaction, then introverts do just fine without it for quite a long time. The former draw inspiration through communication with people, while the latter see an inexhaustible source of grace in themselves. Interacting with others can be very tiring, depriving them of strength and new opportunities.
Properties of temperament
It is known that sanguine people are easier than others to adapt to changing conditions. Cholerics tend to act impulsively, take rash steps. Phlegmatic people are quite calm and reasonable, while melancholic people are characterized by emotional instability and excessive impressionability. What impact does social facilitation have on all four types? An example can be given as follows: at the very first difficulties, a melancholic person tends to immediately withdraw into himself, a phlegmatic person tries to sort everything out “on the shelves”, a sanguine person acts actively and productively, and a choleric person is loudly indignant.
Social laziness
What is this concept, how does it relate to social facilitation? Laziness manifests itself inwhen there is no positive assessment from other participants in the activity. If a person is not encouraged in any way, she will not want to work to the fullest of her abilities. Social laziness lies in the fact that a person will never make additional efforts if he does not see the meaning and purpose in them. In the absence of a meaningful assessment, a person often withdraws into himself or begins to work just enough so as not to arouse suspicion from colleagues and colleagues. Laziness neutralizes the effect of such a thing as social facilitation. Life examples show that in the absence of proper attention and support from the authorities, people generally stop trying, show their best at work, because they do not see the point and necessity in it.
Each of us wants to feel that his work is not in vain. If there is a goal for which a person takes certain steps, then any obstacles seem surmountable. There are even additional forces for the implementation of the plans. In the case of serious conflicts, misunderstanding on the part of society, a sharp, critical rejection of the results of an individual's work, conflicting feelings arise that prevent them from fully acting.
Socio-pedagogical facilitation
Public institutions, which include kindergartens and schools, teach the little person from a very early age to understand what other people expect from him. Each of us is familiar with the methodology of reward and punishment, successfully applied in society. Child,getting into a certain social environment, he immediately learns to live according to its laws. From childhood, a person is offered (or rather, imposed) a specific model of behavior, according to which he will have to live in the future.
Socio-pedagogical facilitation lies in the fact that a person from an early age learns to perceive himself as part of society. Society makes certain demands on him, under which he involuntarily has to adapt. With this approach, a person often loses his own individuality, does not know how to realize it in the future.
Thus, social facilitation acts as a kind of link between the aspirations of the person himself and social attitudes. It is very important to be able to find a balance between these two poles, then the personality will become whole and harmonious.
