Ready, Set, Peformance: Understanding Social Facilitation

Ever noticed you push yourself harder at the gym when someone’s next to you, but struggle more when trying something totally new in front of a crowd? That’s the Social Facilitation Effect at work-a psychological phenomenon where being around others boosts performance on simple or well-learned tasks, yet can cause more mistakes on difficult tasks. Discovered by Norman Triplett in the 1890s and expanded by researchers like Robert Zajonc, social facilitation reveals how an audience shapes our focus and confidence. In this podcast, we’ll explore why it happens, when it helps (or hinders), and how to harness it in everyday life.