In social psychology, the presence of others does not always lead to social facilitation because

• A. group size has no effect on individual performance
• B. the task may be complex or unfamiliar, causing performance to decrease
• C. people always perform better when others are watching
• D. social facilitation only occurs in competitive situations

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of social facilitation: it refers to the tendency for people to perform differently when in the presence of others compared to when alone.
2. Recognize that social facilitation typically improves performance on simple or well-learned tasks but can impair performance on complex or unfamiliar tasks.
3. Analyze why the presence of others might not always lead to improved performance: when a task is complex or unfamiliar, increased arousal from an audience can cause anxiety or distraction, leading to decreased performance.
4. Evaluate the incorrect options: group size can affect performance, people do not always perform better when watched, and social facilitation is not limited to competitive situations.
5. Conclude that the key reason social facilitation does not always occur is because the nature of the task (complexity or familiarity) influences whether performance improves or declines in the presence of others.