What is the phenomenon called when people perform better on simple tasks in the presence of others?

• A. Social Facilitation
• B. Groupthink
• C. Social Loafing
• D. Deindividuation

Answer: (A)

The phenomenon where individuals perform better on simple tasks when in the presence of others is known as social facilitation. This concept is grounded in the idea that the presence of an audience or other people can enhance an individual’s performance, especially on tasks that are well-practiced or simple. The presence of others can lead to increased arousal, which may help an individual focus and accomplish tasks more effectively.

Social facilitation contrasts with situations such as social loafing, where individuals exert less effort in group tasks, and groupthink, which refers to a phenomenon where a group prioritizes consensus over critical evaluation of alternatives, potentially leading to poor decision-making. Deindividuation involves a loss of self-awareness in group settings and can lead to behavior that individuals might not engage in alone. All these terms describe different aspects of social interactions, but they do not capture the effect of improved performance in the presence of others that social facilitation describes.