Which of the following scenarios illustrates the principle of social facilitation?

• A. A skilled pianist performs better during a concert in front of an audience than when practicing alone.
• B. A student studies more effectively in a quiet room than in a crowded library.
• C. A person conforms to a group's opinion even though they privately disagree.
• D. An employee works less efficiently when part of a large team than when working alone.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of social facilitation, which refers to the tendency for people to perform better on simple or well-learned tasks when in the presence of others.
2. Step 2: Identify the key elements in each scenario: the task being performed, the presence of others, and whether performance improves or declines.
3. Step 3: Analyze the first scenario: a skilled pianist performs better during a concert (presence of an audience) than when practicing alone, which aligns with social facilitation because the task is well-learned and performance improves with an audience.
4. Step 4: Compare the other scenarios to the definition: studying in a quiet room vs. crowded library relates to distraction, conformity involves changing opinions due to group pressure, and working less efficiently in a team relates to social loafing, not facilitation.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the scenario illustrating social facilitation is the skilled pianist performing better in front of an audience, as it matches the principle of improved performance on a familiar task due to the presence of others.