Which best describes the effects of the presence of others on performance?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of others can create a social facilitation effect where performance improves on tasks at which we are skilled, but it can also create social inhibition where performance is impaired on tasks at which we are unskilled or on difficult tasks. This is known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law which suggests that a moderate level of arousal is necessary for optimal performance, but too much or too little arousal can impair performance. The presence of others can increase arousal, leading to improved performance on simple tasks but impaired performance on complex tasks. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Which Best Describes the Effects of the Presence of Others