Based on Zajonc's drive theory and the 'if-then' hypothesis, explain why the presence of other cockroaches in the audience boxes is predicted to speed up the cockroaches in the straight runway but slow them down in the cross-shaped maze. What does this reveal about how task difficulty interacts with social presence?
Case context: A researcher is replicating Zajonc's (1969) cockroach study to understand social facilitation and inhibition. In this experimental setup, cockroaches escape a bright light to reach a dark chamber. The researchers use two runway designs: a straight runway (an easy task) and a cross-shaped maze (a difficult task). The cockroaches complete these trials either alone or in the presence of other cockroaches housed in clear plastic 'audience boxes.'
Question: Based on Zajonc's drive theory and the 'if-then' hypothesis, explain why the presence of other cockroaches in the audience boxes is predicted to speed up the cockroaches in the straight runway but slow them down in the cross-shaped maze. What does this reveal about how task difficulty interacts with social presence?
Sample answer: According to Zajonc's drive theory, the presence of others increases drive, which improves performance on simple/easy tasks but impairs performance on difficult/complex tasks. In this study, the straight runway is an easy task, so the presence of other cockroaches in the audience boxes facilitates performance, making them run faster. Conversely, the cross-shaped maze is a difficult task, so the presence of other cockroaches inhibits performance, causing them to run more slowly. This demonstrates that task difficulty determines whether social presence has a facilitating or inhibiting effect on behavior.
Key points:
- Identify the straight runway as the easy task and the cross-shaped maze as the difficult task.
- Explain that drive theory predicts social presence improves performance on easy tasks (facilitation).
- Explain that drive theory predicts social presence impairs performance on difficult tasks (inhibition).
- Conclude that task difficulty determines the positive or negative impact of social presence on behavior.
Rubric: A comprehensive response must detail: 1) The classification of the straight runway as an easy task and the cross-shaped maze as a difficult task; 2) The theoretical assertion that social presence (others in audience boxes) facilitates easy tasks (faster run times) and inhibits difficult tasks (slower run times); 3) The interaction showing that task difficulty dictates the direction of the social presence effect.
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