Discussion and abstract - Essay Example

After performing a hypothesis test based on the t-test, it was noted that there was a significant difference in the means of the two experimental groups, the result being as follows: t = -3.02, df = 18, p < 0.05. The result of the study supports the theory that evaluation apprehension has a significant effect on the rate of task performance. Based on the fact that the average time taken by individuals who perceived that they were being evaluated was less than that taken by those who thought otherwise, it is concluded that evaluation apprehension impacts work performance.

The speed with which people can complete a certain task is normally dependent on a number of factors such as the difficulty of the task and the pressure under which the individuals are performing that particular task (Crisp and Turner, 2010). Another common factor that influences how fast a person can complete a given task is through evaluation apprehension (Minor, 1970). Evaluation apprehension is the name given to the anxious feeling that one normally experiences when being under evaluation.

It is the concern that people normally have when there are others assessing how they are doing (Weiss and Miller, 1971). 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