The Effect of Evaluation on Dominance Characteristics: An Extension of Social Facilitation Theory

Previous research in social facilitation has been limited to a relatively narrow range of responses. The present study has attempted to extend the effects of social facilitation to include more complex responses. A 2 × 2 factorial design was employed using high and low dominant leaders, as measured on the Dominance scale of the California Psychological Inventory, and the presence and absence of evaluation. Ss were 40 male college students, with an average age of 20 years, recruited from introductory classes. Results showed a significant interaction effect; that is, when evaluated, high dominant leaders behaved in a more dominant way, while low dominant leaders behaved in a less dominant way. Dominant behavior was measured by the amount of direct verbal commands given by the leader. An examination of direct commands and task performance indicated that the effects of evaluation were more pronounced for high dominant than for low dominant leaders.