Frontalis muscle tension was recorded from two groups of 10 Ss as they listened to a humorous recording in the presence of E. One group listened privately on headphones and the other listened to an external speaker, while E appeared to be inattentive in both conditions. The groups were matched on the basis of Ss' EMG resting levels and EMG gradients in previous sessions. Ss who listened privately experienced less apprehension over evaluation and lower levels of muscle tension during the first 4 min. of the recording. Group differences tended to diminish with time. The results are interpreted as support for social-facilitation drive theory.
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