When your roommate enters the room while you're typing an email, it can make you uncomfortable. The roommate isn't judging you, but you may still feel uncomfortable, according to Zajonc, because the roommate's mere presence is __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Zajonc's social facilitation theory, the mere presence of others can be arousing, leading to an increase in performance on simple or well-rehearsed tasks (such as riding a bike) but a decrease in performance on complex or new tasks (such as writing an email). Therefore, the roommate's presence may be making the individual feel uncomfortable because it is arousing them and interfering with their task of writing the email. The other options (evaluative, fear-arousing, and pleasurable) do not fully capture the effect of the roommate's presence on the individual's discomfort.

When Your Roommate Enters the Room While You're Typing an Email