What is social facilitation?

Social facilitation refers to the phenomenon where an individual's performance on simple or well-learned tasks improves in the presence of others. This improvement is attributed to increased arousal or motivation that social settings can elicit. When people are aware that they are being observed, they are often more motivated to perform, especially if the tasks are familiar or straightforward. This effect illustrates the influence of social environment on individual performance, highlighting the positive impact of group dynamics in situations where tasks are simple.

The other options detail various behavioral tendencies that do not accurately describe social facilitation. For example, the tendency to perform worse on complex tasks when alone describes a different effect known as social inhibition, not social facilitation. Ignoring social influences or overestimating performance in groups are also distinct themes that do not align with the definition of social facilitation, which specifically focuses on performance enhancement when others are present. Thus, option B captures the essence of social facilitation correctly, making it the appropriate response.