Moving in the presence of others – a systematic review and meta-analysis on social facilitation

Social facilitation is an old research topic in psychology with diverse results: Performance cognitive or motor tasks either facilitated, inhibited not affected, argued to be a function of task complexity. In his narrative review, Strauss, B. (2002. tasks: A review and theory. Psychology Sport Exercise, 3(3), 237–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1469-0292(01)00019-X) found the presence others positively affect condition-based (general drive hypothesis, Zajonc, R. (1965). facilitation. Science, 149(3681), 142–146. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.149.3681.269), negatively coordination-based (capacity Manstead, A. S. R., & Semin, G. (1980). effects: Mere enhancement dominant responses? British Journal Clinical Psychology, 19(2), 119–135. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8260.1980.tb00937.x). This systematic meta-analysis focused exclusively on movement-based tasks, identifies prevalence magnitude social facilitation, moderated by condition- coordination-demands. Through forward searches (Scopus, PsycINFO, Web Academic Search Premier, ProQuest Dissertations, OvidSP) backward searches, we identified N = 82 human studies (7008 participants) over 100 years. are generally while results performed under time precision pressure differed (cf. Bond, C. F., Titus, L. J. (1983). facilitation: 241 studies. Psychological Bulletin, 94(2), 265–292. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.94.2.265). The meta-analytic moderator analysis coordination- aligned review. experimenter’s influential was emphasized. We support capacity hypothesis draw conclusions for state theory experimental limitations specific research.