Editing Group dynamics (section)

===Group performance===
Forsyth suggests that while many daily tasks undertaken by individuals could be performed in isolation, the preference is to perform with other people.<ref name=forsyth/>

====Social facilitation and performance gains====
In a study of dynamogenic stimulation for the purpose of explaining pacemaking and competition in 1898, [[Norman Triplett]] theorized that "the bodily presence of another rider is a stimulus to the racer in arousing the competitive instinct...".<ref>{{Cite journal|doi = 10.2307/1412188|jstor = 1412188|title = The Dynamogenic Factors in Pacemaking and Competition|journal = The American Journal of Psychology|volume = 9|issue = 4|pages = 507–533|year = 1898|last1 = Triplett|first1 = N. }}</ref> This dynamogenic factor is believed to have laid the groundwork for what is now known as social facilitation—an "improvement in task performance that occurs when people work in the presence of other people".<ref name=forsyth/>

Further to Triplett's observation, in 1920, [[Floyd Allport]] found that although people in groups were more productive than individuals, the quality of their product/effort was inferior.<ref name=forsyth/>

In 1965, [[Robert Zajonc]] expanded the study of arousal response (originated by Triplett) with further research in the area of social facilitation. In his study, Zajonc considered two experimental paradigms. In the first—audience effects—Zajonc observed behaviour in the presence of passive spectators, and the second—co-action effects—he examined behaviour in the presence of another individual engaged in the same activity.<ref>{{Cite journal | pmid = 14300526| jstor = 1715944|title=Social Facilitation|author=Robert B. Zajonc|journal=Science|series=New Series|volume=149| issue = 3681|date=July 16, 1965|pages= 269–274| doi = 10.1126/science.149.3681.269| bibcode = 1965Sci...149..269Z}}</ref>

Zajonc observed two categories of behaviours—'''dominant responses''' to tasks that are easier to learn and which dominate other potential responses and '''nondominant responses''' to tasks that are less likely to be performed. In his '''Theory of Social Facilitation''', Zajonc concluded that in the presence of others, when action is required, depending on the task requirement, either social facilitation or social interference will impact the outcome of the task. If social facilitation occurs, the task will have required a dominant response from the individual resulting in better performance in the presence of others, whereas if social interference occurs the task will have elicited a nondominant response from the individual resulting in subpar performance of the task.<ref name=forsyth/>

Several theories analysing performance gains in groups via drive, motivational, cognitive and personality processes, explain why social facilitation occurs.

Zajonc hypothesized that '''compresence''' (the state of responding in the presence of others) elevates an individual's drive level which in turn triggers social facilitation when tasks are simple and easy to execute, but impedes performance when tasks are challenging.<ref name=forsyth/>

Nickolas Cottrell, 1972, proposed the '''[[evaluation apprehension model]]''' whereby he suggested people associate social situations with an evaluative process. Cottrell argued this situation is met with apprehension and it is this motivational response, not arousal/elevated drive, that is responsible for increased productivity on simple tasks and decreased productivity on complex tasks in the presence of others.<ref name=forsyth/>

In '''[[The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life]]''' (1959), [[Erving Goffman]] assumes that individuals can control how they are perceived by others. He suggests that people fear being perceived as having negative, undesirable qualities and characteristics by other people, and that it is this fear that compels individuals to portray a positive self-presentation/social image of themselves. In relation to performance gains, Goffman's '''self-presentation theory''' predicts, in situations where they may be evaluated, individuals will consequently increase their efforts in order to project/preserve/maintain a positive image.<ref name=forsyth/>

'''[[Distraction-conflict]] theory''' contends that when a person is working in the presence of other people, an interference effect occurs splitting the individual's attention between the task and the other person. On simple tasks, where the individual is not challenged by the task, the interference effect is negligible and performance, therefore, is facilitated. On more complex tasks, where drive is not strong enough to effectively compete against the effects of distraction, there is no performance gain. The '''Stroop task''' ([[Stroop effect]]) demonstrated that, by narrowing a person's focus of attention on certain tasks, distractions can improve performance.<ref name=forsyth/>

'''Social orientation theory''' considers the way a person approaches social situations. It predicts that self-confident individuals with a positive outlook will show performance gains through social facilitation, whereas a self-conscious individual approaching social situations with apprehension is less likely to perform well due to social interference effects.<ref name=forsyth/>