Evaluation Apprehension
Encyclopedia
The evaluation apprehension theory was proposed by Nickolas B. Cottrell in 1972. He argued that we quickly learn that social rewards and punishments (for example, in the form of approval and disapproval) that we receive from other people are based on their evaluations of us. On this basis, our arousal may be modulated. In other words, performance will be enhanced or impaired only in the presence of persons who can approve or disapprove our actions.
For example, a person who is trying out for cheer leading will feel a heightened sense of arousal leading to incompetence not just because others are around, but because of the fear that others are observing and ridiculing them.
Feelings of concern about evaluation nearly always occur when in the presence of others. However, Cottrell in 1968 tried to separate these variables in an experiment. He found that there was no social facilitation
effect on three well-learned tasks performed by a participant when there were two other persons (part of the study) blindfolded and supposedly preparing for a perception study. The participants would perform the same as the participants who were to perform the three well-learned tasks alone. Dominant responses (sharper and quicker) were given mainly by participants that had to perform the three tasks in the presence of seeing persons apart of the study unknown to the participant.
People may experience evaluation apprehension when they are part of a negatively stereotyped group and involved in a stereotype-linked activity. For example women taking a math test may not perform to their full potential because of concerns regarding women’s stereotyped difficulties with math. In this situation, evaluation apprehension is called stereotype threat
. Stereotype threat can also occur in private, whereas evaluation apprehension cannot.
Evaluation apprehension can affect subjects’ behavior in psychological experiments, and can lead to invalid casual interference. Rosenberg defined evaluation apprehension as “an active, anxiety-toned concern that be (the subject) win a positive evaluation from the experimenter, or at least that he provide no grounds for a negative one.” As a result, subjects have conformed less in conformity studies and exhibited quicker conditioning in conditioning studies as part of a positive self-presentation.
Other research on evaluation apprehension has shown that when they must make a choice, subjects are more concerned with presenting themselves in a favorable light (this has been called the apprehensive hypothesis, the “good subject role”)
Concern with giving a positive self-presentation is also implicit in the “social desirability” concept. This concept refers to a tendency to give the “socially desired response” – e.g., a response that would typically be considered “well-adjusted”- in answering items on personality measures. This response set is important for personality researchers because it threatens valid interpretation of test results.
For example, a person who is trying out for cheer leading will feel a heightened sense of arousal leading to incompetence not just because others are around, but because of the fear that others are observing and ridiculing them.
Feelings of concern about evaluation nearly always occur when in the presence of others. However, Cottrell in 1968 tried to separate these variables in an experiment. He found that there was no social facilitation
Social facilitation
Social facilitation is the tendency for people to do better on simple tasks when in the presence of other people. This implies that whenever people are being watched by others, they will do well on things that they are already good at doing...
effect on three well-learned tasks performed by a participant when there were two other persons (part of the study) blindfolded and supposedly preparing for a perception study. The participants would perform the same as the participants who were to perform the three well-learned tasks alone. Dominant responses (sharper and quicker) were given mainly by participants that had to perform the three tasks in the presence of seeing persons apart of the study unknown to the participant.
People may experience evaluation apprehension when they are part of a negatively stereotyped group and involved in a stereotype-linked activity. For example women taking a math test may not perform to their full potential because of concerns regarding women’s stereotyped difficulties with math. In this situation, evaluation apprehension is called stereotype threat
Stereotype threat
Stereotype threat is the experience of anxiety or concern in a situation where a person has the potential to confirm a negative stereotype about their social group. First described by social psychologist Claude Steele and his colleagues, stereotype threat has been shown to reduce the performance of...
. Stereotype threat can also occur in private, whereas evaluation apprehension cannot.
Evaluation apprehension can affect subjects’ behavior in psychological experiments, and can lead to invalid casual interference. Rosenberg defined evaluation apprehension as “an active, anxiety-toned concern that be (the subject) win a positive evaluation from the experimenter, or at least that he provide no grounds for a negative one.” As a result, subjects have conformed less in conformity studies and exhibited quicker conditioning in conditioning studies as part of a positive self-presentation.
Other research on evaluation apprehension has shown that when they must make a choice, subjects are more concerned with presenting themselves in a favorable light (this has been called the apprehensive hypothesis, the “good subject role”)
Concern with giving a positive self-presentation is also implicit in the “social desirability” concept. This concept refers to a tendency to give the “socially desired response” – e.g., a response that would typically be considered “well-adjusted”- in answering items on personality measures. This response set is important for personality researchers because it threatens valid interpretation of test results.
See also
- Drive theory
- Alien effect
- Cottrell, N.B. (1972). Social Facilitation. In C. McClintock (ed.), Experimental Social Psychology (pp. 185–236). New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
- Cottrell, N.B., Wack, D.L., Sekerak, G.J. and Rittle, R.H. (1968). Social facilitation of dominant responses by presence of others. Journal of Personality and Social PsychologyJournal of Personality and Social PsychologyThe Journal of Personality and Social Psychology is a monthly psychology journal of the American Psychological Association. It is considered one of the top journals in the fields of social and personality psychology. Its focus is on empirical research reports; however, specialized theoretical,...
, 9, 245–50.