Why do social loafing occur?
Social loafing occurs when our individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group. Thus, group performance declines on easy tasks (Karau & Williams, 1993). Essentially individual group members loaf and let other group members pick up the slack.
What is social loafing?
Social loafing is the perceived psychological phenomenon that team members do less in a group setting. The social loafing effect states that individuals don't pull their own weight when they're judged as part of a group.
What is social loafing and example?
Restaurant employees failing to put in equal amounts of effort is an example of social loafing. If there is a small number of customers present then all the servers need not work even if they are all on duty, so lazier workers will let the 'in' group take on all the responsibility.
How does social loafing occur in large groups?
Social loafing is when individuals in groups expend less effort on a task than they would if they were doing it by themselves. Social loafing is more likely in large groups, where motivation is low and where the individuals in the group don't see their contribution affecting the outcome.
What three things cause social loafing?
1 Lack of motivation. A lack of motivation can considerably increase the chances of social loafing. ... 2 Group size. Another factor that influences social loafing is group size. ... 3 Expectation of others. ... 4 Group development theory. ... 5 Social facilitation.
How does social loafing affect students?
When a member of a group becomes a social loafer, the member reduces any opportunity he might have had to grow in his ability and knowledge. Today, many college-level classes focus on group projects. The ability for an individual to participate in social loafing increases as the group increases in number.
What is social loafing how can it be overcome?
When this happens, what you're witnessing is actually a phenomenon called “social loafing.” One site defines social loafing as “the tendency of individuals to put forth less effort when they're part of a group.” One of the key strategies to reduce the potential for social loafing is to create smaller groups or teams.
Key Studies
- The relative inefficiency of groups was first studied by Max Ringelmann in the early 1900s. He asked people to try to pull as hard as possible on a rope and measured how much pressure they were able to exert while on their own, compared to in groups. He found that a group of two worked less efficiently than two people working independently. Moreover, as the groups got larger, the a…
Can Social Loafing Be Reduced?
- In a 1993 meta-analysis, Steven Karau and Kipling Williamscombined the results of 78 other studies to assess when social loafing happens. Overall, they found support for the idea that social loafing occurs. However, they found that some circumstances were able to reduce social loafing or even stop it from happening. Based on this research, Karau and Williams suggest that severa…
Comparison to Related Theories
- Social loafing is related to another theory in psychology, the idea of diffusion of responsibility. According to this theory, individuals feel less responsible for acting in a given situation if there are other people present who could also act. For both social loafing and diffusion of responsibility, …
Sources and Additional Reading
- Forsyth, Donelson R. Group Dynamics. 4th ed., Thomson/Wadsworth, 2006. https://books.google.com/books?id=jXTa7Tbkpf4C
- Karau, Steven J., and Kipling D. Williams. "Social Loafing: A Meta-Analytic Review and Theoretical Integration." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 65, no. 4, 1993, pp. 681-706. htt...
- Forsyth, Donelson R. Group Dynamics. 4th ed., Thomson/Wadsworth, 2006. https://books.google.com/books?id=jXTa7Tbkpf4C
- Karau, Steven J., and Kipling D. Williams. "Social Loafing: A Meta-Analytic Review and Theoretical Integration." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 65, no. 4, 1993, pp. 681-706. htt...
- Latané, Bibb, Kipling Williams, and Stephen Harkins. "Many Hands Make Light the Work: The Causes and Consequences of Social Loafing." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 37, no. 6, 1...
- Simms, Ashley, and Tommy Nichols. "Social Loafing: A Review of the Literature." Journal of Management Policy and Practice, vol. 15, no.1, 2014: pp. 58-67. https://www.researchgate.ne…
