social facilitation theory

Social facilitation theory suggests that an individual's performance can improve or decline when they are observed by others. When performing simple or well-practiced tasks, people tend to do better in front of an audience because the presence of others increases arousal and motivation. Conversely, for complex or unfamiliar tasks, the same social presence can cause anxiety or distraction, making performance worse. Essentially, the theory highlights how social context influences our ability to perform different types of tasks by affecting our confidence and focus.