Social Loafing
Social Loafing
Social loafing is the phenomenon where individuals put in less effort when working as part of a group than when working alone. It tends to occur when personal contributions are less visible or when people expect others to pick up the slack.
Details
Social loafing refers to the reduction of individual effort that occurs within a group setting.
It tends to emerge when a person's contribution is not easily identified, or when they expect others to take care of the work instead. As group size increases, individual effort tends to decrease.
To prevent this, it helps to clearly define each person's role and responsibilities, and to make individual contributions visible and accountable. Meaningful tasks and a strong sense of connection among team members also go a long way in reducing social loafing.
— Mindy
💡 Real-Life Example
A classic example of social loafing is when a student in a group project thinks 'someone else will handle it' and puts in less effort than they would if working on their own.
This content is for educational purposes and does not replace professional medical diagnosis.