A professional football player who plays better when games are nationally televised is exhibiting

• A. Groupthink
• B. Social facilitation
• C. Social loafing
• D. Attribution

Answer: (B)

Social facilitation is the idea that the presence of others watching can raise arousal, which tends to boost performance on tasks a person already knows well. A professional football player often performs better when games are nationally televised because the large audience creates social stimulation that sharpens execution of familiar, well-practiced skills. The crowd and media attention increase arousal, which helps the athlete perform at a higher level.

This doesn’t fit groupthink, which is about group dynamics leading to poor decision-making to maintain harmony, nor social loafing, which is a drop in effort when working in a group and contributions aren’t individually identified. Attribution involves explaining why something happens (e.g., success due to luck or skill), not how audience presence affects performance.