相关试卷

This phenomenon is known as social facilitation (促进), which describes how individuals can perform tasks differently when in the company of others compared to when they are alone. The concept was first proposed by psychologist Norman Tripplett, who noticed that cyclists raced faster in groups. He tested his theory with a simple experiment where children were tasked with winding fishing line. Tripplett observed that the children who were being around others moved faster, suggesting that a peer (同龄人) nearby can motivate.

But later studies found conflicting evidence. In another test, participants were given a more complex task, like memorizing a list of words. Those in front of others performed worse than those working alone. This contradiction (矛盾) led to a key change of the theory. The presence of an audience tends to improve performance on simple tasks. On the other hand, for novel tasks, the same audience can hurt performance.

Why does this happen? Psychologists suggest the key reason is our concern about being judged by others. Since approval and disapproval often depend on others' evaluations, we naturally become more alert in front of an audience. This alertness helps with mastered skills, but gets in the way of learning new ones.

There isn't one recipe for success, but social facilitation theory helps to point us in the right direction. To improve a well-practiced skill like running or playing an instrument, strategically seek an audience by joining a club or performing publicly. If you struggle when watched, practice alone until you gain confidence. By taking advantage of social settings wisely, we can use the audience effect to achieve our best performance.

—He regrets not ________ for his interview. He wasn't selected.