What does the presence of others typically do to individual performance, according to social facilitation theory?

Social facilitation theory suggests that the presence of others can influence an individual's performance in various ways, depending on the nature of the task and the individual's level of skill or arousal. When individuals perform tasks in the presence of others, their performance can improve or decline based on several contextual factors.

For well-practiced or simple tasks, the presence of an audience often enhances performance due to increased arousal and motivation. This is because the presence of others can create a competitive atmosphere, which might spur the individual to perform better. Conversely, for complex or less familiar tasks, the presence of an audience can cause anxiety and distract the performer, leading to impaired performance.

Therefore, the correct answer reflects the complexity of social facilitation, indicating that the influence of others on individual performance is context-dependent, with possibilities for both enhancement and impairment. This nuanced understanding helps explain why performance varies in different social environments, aligning accurately with the principles of social facilitation theory.