The audience effect can be best described as a given person’s behavior changing when they believe that they are being observed by other people of importance to them and they therefore essentially decide to play to the audience, for reasons, that seem to make sense to the person so being observed. In other words, how we behave, in a given situation, can be significantly influenced by whether or not our peers are watching us, or whether or not those in authority are watching us, and we often therefore modify our behavior in order to sell whatever story that we believe will be most satisfactory to that audience.
That is to say, it has to be recognized that the audience effect can influence the person being observed, negatively or positively. For instance, for those who are being watched by their peers, and are at an impressionable age, when therefore they are insulted by someone of their age in a social situation, may necessitate corresponding retaliatory action, because of the audience effect, even when the person so retaliating might in their own mind, not really want to retaliate to begin with. So too, those that are in an athletic endeavor, but aren’t really into it, or are tired, can though get caught up in the team spirit, and perform much better, when they know that their teammates are counting upon them as well as the audience also being into it, and therefore will do their level best not to be the weakest link, but rather to be strong and determined, instead.
Indeed, in classroom situations, one of the reasons why disruptive students are excused from class, is that by their misbehavior playing to the audience of their fellow students, it becomes difficult for the teacher to not only maintain control over their students but also for the students to learn what they are supposed to learn. So then, it can be said, that those who know that they have an audience are going to, in certain cases, behave in a way and manner, that they wouldn’t bother to do if there wasn’t an audience to watch and to comment upon their actions.
Additionally, some of the responsibility for actions that those being observed do must also be the responsibility of those who are in the audience. In other words, when given the choice to simply walk away from somebody who is obviously seeking attention, or to not pay attention to that person, we influence the narrative, because certain behaviors are only going to occur, when people are being watched and in the lack of that audience, their desire to do those behaviors, soon dissipates.
So then, it is important for those who are in the audience to gauge as to whether or not their watching is beneficial for the person that they are observing or in the end, detrimental to that situation, for when it is detrimental, the audience should understand that they too have incurred some responsibility for the action that subsequently occurs. In truth, because humans are social creatures, their behavior is going to be influenced, to some extent, by being observed by their peers or other personages, and not every behavior so made under those conditions, is going to be good for that person or for society.