What is a key implication of social facilitation?

The concept of social facilitation refers to the effect that the presence of others has on an individual's performance. A key implication of social facilitation is that an audience can enhance performance on tasks that a person has mastered or practiced extensively. This phenomenon occurs because the presence of others can boost arousal and motivation, leading to improved execution of well-rehearsed skills.

In contrast, for tasks that are complex, new, or not well-practiced, the presence of an audience may introduce anxiety or distraction, which can hinder performance. Therefore, the impact of an audience varies depending on the difficulty and familiarity of the task at hand, illustrating why the presence of others can be beneficial specifically for well-rehearsed activities.