Bob is in a work team with colleagues who laugh and make fun of each other when someone makes a mistake. Becuase of this group norm, Bob is feeling extreme nervousness as he plans for a presentation he must make in front of his team and project manager, despite the fact that Bob is quite competent and experienced in his field and the topic. Bob's feelings can best be explained by which group theory?

Social facilitation.

Explanation:

Social facilitation can be defined as an improved performance as a result of the presence of others.

The concept was first coined in 1898 by Norman Triplett but the concept was termed as social facilitation years later in 1920 by Floyd Allport.

Triplett, in his paper, wrote about one incident that he noticed while enjoying his cycle ride. He noticed that people tend to drive faster when they are around other cyclists.

In the given case, Bob's feelings of nervousness can be explained by the theory of social facilitation. He is feeling nervous because, the group of which he is part of, make fun of others and laugh at each other that is making him feel nervous.

So, the correct answer is social facilitation.