According to the social facilitation theory, task performance is sometimes enhanced by the presence of others and sometimes hurt by the presence of others. Generally speaking, this depends upon ____.

A) whether the task at hand is easy or hard
B) whether or not the others who are present are engaged in the same task
C) whether the person is an introvert or an extrovert
D) whether or not the others who are present are members of a social ingroup

Social facilitation theory suggests that the presence of others can enhance performance on simple or well-learned tasks but can impair performance on complex or new tasks. This is because the presence of others increases physiological arousal, which can improve performance on tasks that are easy or familiar (due to increased focus and energy) but can hinder performance on difficult or unfamiliar tasks (due to increased anxiety or distraction).