Social facilitation refers to the tendency to
Group of answer choices
comply with a large request if one has previously complied with a small request.
lose self-restraint in group situations that foster anonymity.
neglect critical thinking because of a strong desire for social harmony within a group.
perform well-learned tasks more effectively in the presence of others.
The correct answer and explanation is :
Correct Answer:
Perform well-learned tasks more effectively in the presence of others.
Explanation:
Social facilitation is a psychological concept that describes how the presence of others affects an individual’s performance on tasks. Specifically, research has shown that people tend to perform well-learned or simple tasks better when they are being observed by others, whereas they may struggle with complex or unfamiliar tasks under the same conditions.
The concept of social facilitation was first studied by Norman Triplett (1898), who observed that cyclists performed better when competing against others rather than when riding alone. Later, Robert Zajonc (1965) provided a theoretical explanation by introducing the drive theory of social facilitation. According to Zajonc, the presence of others increases physiological arousal, which enhances performance on tasks that are automatic, well-practiced, or easy but hinders performance on tasks that are complex or unfamiliar.
For example:
- A professional musician may perform better in front of an audience due to increased arousal and motivation.
- A student who is confident in solving math problems may solve them faster when surrounded by classmates.
- However, someone learning to play the piano might make more mistakes when performing in front of others due to nervousness.
Social Facilitation vs. Social Inhibition
While social facilitation improves performance on well-learned tasks, the opposite effect—social inhibition—occurs when individuals perform worse on difficult or unfamiliar tasks due to pressure and anxiety.
Conclusion
Social facilitation highlights the role of audience effects in human behavior. Understanding this phenomenon is useful in areas such as education, sports, and workplace productivity, where optimizing performance based on social presence can be beneficial.