Social facilitation — MRCPsych Paper A MCQ

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HardPsychologySocial facilitationMRCPsych Paper A

In a simulation study, doctors complete two psychomotor sequences either alone or while being silently observed by peers. Observation shortens completion time for an extensively rehearsed sequence but increases errors on a newly learned sequence. The observers provide no feedback, do not share responsibility for performance and cannot affect rewards. Which social-psychological phenomenon best accounts for the complete pattern?

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Correct answer: D — Social facilitation

The answer is D, social facilitation. In its classical formulation, the presence of other people increases arousal or attentional demand and strengthens the dominant response. The dominant response is usually correct for a familiar, well-rehearsed task, improving speed or accuracy, but may be incorrect during a novel or complex task, impairing performance. Social loafing concerns reduced individual effort when responsibility is shared within a group, which the stem excludes. Evaluation apprehension is a proposed mechanism through which observation may produce social facilitation, rather than the name of the complete performance pattern. Audience inhibition describes only the deterioration in the newly learned task and not the improvement in the rehearsed task. The mere-exposure effect is increased liking or preference following repeated exposure to a stimulus.

Reference: Tricoche L, Royer d'Halluin M, Meunier M, Pélisson D. Neural bases of social facilitation and inhibition: how peer presence affects elementary eye movements. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 2025;20(1):nsae079. https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/training/examinations/exams-syllabic-curriculum-mrcpsych-february-2021.pdf?sfvrsn=20c35fdb_8