What does "social facilitation" refer to?

Social facilitation refers specifically to the phenomenon where individuals perform better on simple or well-practiced tasks when they are in the presence of others, compared to when they are alone. This improved performance occurs due to the motivation that social presence creates, as the audience can increase arousal levels, which enhances the execution of tasks that are already familiar.

In contrast, more complex tasks may not benefit from social facilitation in the same way; they can even suffer from decreased performance when an audience is present, as increased pressure can lead to anxiety or overwhelm. Therefore, the correct understanding of social facilitation directly aligns with the concept of improved performance in a social setting, particularly for tasks that are simple or well-learned.