During a school exhibition in Jaipur, Arjun, the best chess player in his class, was asked to solve chess puzzles on a large screen while classmates and parents stood watching. He played on his own, and every puzzle he solved was scored under his name on a board beside him. Arjun solved more puzzles, and faster, than he usually did while practising alone in his room at home. His teacher said the crowd seemed to bring out his best.
Which phenomenon best explains the change in Arjun's performance?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Social facilitation
Option (1) Social loafing — Incorrect. Social loafing is a reduction in individual effort on a collective task whose outputs are pooled, as in tug-of-war. Arjun worked alone, his score was shown under his name, and his effort rose.
Option (2) Social facilitation — Correct. Arjun performed alone in the presence of others, which is social facilitation. The presence of others raises arousal and improves the performance of someone already good at the task, when efforts are individually evaluated. Both conditions hold for Arjun.
Option (3) Group polarisation — Incorrect. Group polarisation is the strengthening of a group's initial position after group discussion. It concerns group decisions, and Arjun was not taking any decision with a group.
Option (4) Groupthink — Incorrect. Groupthink is a consequence of extreme cohesiveness in a group that takes decisions together. Arjun was solving puzzles on his own.
NCERT (2026-27): “INFLUENCE OF GROUP ON INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR “Social facilitation research suggests that presence of others leads to arousal and can motivate individuals to enhance their performance if they are already good at solving something. This enhancement occurs when a person’s efforts are individually evaluated. …” |