What does the term 'social facilitation' refer to in psychology?

• A. The tendency for individuals to perform worse on tasks
• B. The tendency for individuals to perform better on tasks when alone
• C. The tendency for individuals to perform better on tasks when in the presence of others
• D. The tendency for individuals to avoid tasks in social settings

Answer: (C)

The term 'social facilitation' in psychology specifically refers to the phenomenon where individuals perform better on tasks when they are in the presence of others. This effect is particularly noticeable for simple or well-learned tasks, where the arousal associated with being observed can enhance performance. The presence of an audience or peers can lead to an increase in motivation and focus, resulting in improved execution of a task.

This concept is grounded in the idea that social contexts can enhance arousal, leading to better performance for tasks that one is already skilled at. In contrast, the presence of others can sometimes lead to decreased performance on complex or unfamiliar tasks due to increased anxiety or distraction, but this does not define social facilitation itself.