Social facilitation vs. social loafing
A skilled pianist plays a familiar piece better in front of an audience, but makes more mistakes on a newly learned piece in the same setting. Which concept explains both observations?
Answer A: explanation for every choice
A
Correct. The presence of others raises arousal, which strengthens the dominant response: well-learned tasks improve and new or complex tasks suffer.
B
Social loafing is reduced individual effort when contributions are pooled in a group. She performs alone.
C
Deindividuation is loss of self-awareness and restraint in a group, often with anonymity. She is the center of attention.
D
The bystander effect is the reduced likelihood of helping in an emergency when others are present.
TakeawayAn audience boosts the dominant response: easy tasks improve, hard tasks suffer.
Next question →
Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID ps10.