I'll step in this one. For me the first point of hooding is tradition. It is part of the artform.
If I were to take up another, say sculpting, I would learn to use every tool used.
The second point is stimulus reduction. Today I was able to fly Idaho's thriftiest redtail. He was finally at weight and attitude. I know a park nearby that is pretty much empty. Guess what's coming. I got set up and here comes a half dozen 7 or 8 yr old kids. SIGH. I asked them to please stay back and watch, which they did. "Wow, cool"! etc. I flew my bird the number of times I planned and motioned the now much larger group of kids closer.
As an ex-cop I'm a bit paranoid about kids and strangers, so we talked about what they had been told... But I digress. The little crowd grew larger as questions were answered. I quietly hooded my bird as I felt him tensing on my fist more and more. More questions of course, which I was able to answer with a calm bird on my glove.

The quiet little park turned into show and tell for what now looked like the entire first and second grades and parents. No bating, no stressed bird.
We were able to end the session on a positive note. A few decent flights to glove with instant response. He had a good bloody taste in his mouth and a bit of a crop. In my bird's mind, he got rewarded for doing as asked and there was nothing scary to mess it up.

That is why I hood my bird. Hope I made my point.

Good luck.