Effect of Evaluation Apprehension on Speed of Performance in a Simple Manual Dexterity Task - Essay Example

This report evaluates the effect that performance evaluation has on a simple manual dexterity task. Evaluation apprehension does have an impact on an individual’s performance. Participants who believe that they are being evaluated while performing a simple manual task are able to complete their tasks faster when they are in the presence of other people compared to participants who do not think that their performance is the same task is being evaluated (Ferris and Roland, 1983). There have been several studies done to evaluate if a person who perceives that he is being evaluated will perform a task any differently if he thinks that no one is evaluating him.

Different theories have been formulated to explain how evaluation apprehension impacts on speed of performance in a simple dexterity task. The Evaluation Apprehension Theory, which was proposed by Cottrell in 1972 when he stated that when individuals work in the presence of other people, they normally experience a general concern about how the audience is evaluating them. He further stated that the apprehension has the ability to facilitate performance on simple, well learned tasks (Cottrell, Wack, Sekerek and Rittle, 1968).

According to Cottrell, one’s performance is dependent on how well the person understands the social rewards and punishments that he might receive as a result of how other people evaluate him. This is to say that performance can be impaired or enhanced only when one performs in the presence of others who might approve or disapprove the actions involved (Geen, 1983). Cottrell says that individuals are more to experience evaluation apprehension when they are in group that is negatively stereotyped (Cottrell, Wack, Sekerek and Rittle, 1968).

There are many situations that can be used as examples of how evaluation apprehension may affect the speed on performance of a simple dexterity task. One is in a class situation where