Racing at home has its advantages according to the latest report by psychological scientists Mark S. Allen of South Bank University and Marc V. Jones of Staffordshire University, published in Current Directions in Psychological Science , a publication of the Association for Psychological Science.
The conclusions that are revealed from the report determine that there are several factors that can influence the psychological state of athletes, coaches and even referees, ultimately, and that these factors affect their behavior.
Research shows, for example, that playing at home , surrounded by large crowds displaying encouraging behavior, such as applause and cheering, is linked to the success of the home team .
The noise from the crowd can even affect the decision a referee must make . For example, when the crowd is noisy, the referees are more likely to make discretionary decisions (such as granting overtime), favoring the home team, or even sanctioning the visiting team more severely.
The results of the study suggest that the advantage of competing at home is maintained even when the public is not watching the game. In this case, travel fatigue points directly to the visiting team.
But there are also downsides .
Cortisol, a steroid hormone released in response to stress, is higher when competing at home , as athletes feel great pressure to be successful in competition when in front of their own fans. In fact, studies show that in high pressure situations, at important events, athletes tend to strain to control all their movements. This conscious control often leads to poorer performance , in a phenomenon commonly known as choking .
